Of Cauldrons and Comrades
by LuthAn
Summary: We know how the story of James and Lily ends, but how does it start? In 1971, Lily didn't hate James, James didn't call her 'Evans,' nobody knew Remus's secret, Peter was still good, and Sirius was... Sirius. Come see the story from the very beginning...
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

_"For myself, those things that have died, in dying, entered my own heart."_

--Rainer Maria Rilke

**November 3, 1981**

Albus Dumbledore sat alone in his office. It was very late in the night, and even the more talkative of portraits were soundly asleep. The past few days had flown by. Such triumph, such joy. And yet, such deep, profound loss.

The war was over at last, or so it seemed. Dumbledore wasn't as sure as most. Could Lord Voldemort _really_ have been vanquished forever? Yes, what happened at Godric's Hollow was powerful, but was it really enough? And did it require the noble sacrifice of two of Hogwarts' brightest students?

He knew the answer to that question. Yes, of course he knew. James and Lily Potter were dead. But they were not the only ones. Would they and the others be remembered by history? Or would they all just become footnotes in the story of the Boy Who Lived?

And of course there was the matter of Harry. Tiny little Harry Potter, bereft of his parents barely after he could say their names. Harry was now totally alone in the world; any semblance of the life he would have led was now shattered.

The silence was deafening.

As he frequently did in times of trouble or great contemplation, Dumbledore removed his Pensieve from the shelf behind his desk. He sat the great basin on his desk and stared at it for a moment, no emotion registering on his careworn face.

As the silvery surface twinkled and shimmered Dumbledore withdrew his wand from his sleeve. He aimed it at the Pensieve's liquid depths and twitched his arm upwards. Ten ghostly figures slowly emerged from the liquid, their bodies spun out of the translucent matter. The Gryffindor Class of 1978.

For, Dumbledore had come to realize as the losses sank in, this class had suffered more than any from Hogwarts in recent memory. The Class of 1978 as a whole had been absolutely torn asunder, it was true. They, more so than any other class at Hogwarts had truly felt the rise of Lord Voldemort. The Class of 1978 had produced heroes, had produced villains, all because they had the misfortune of being of the precise age that Lord Voldemort desired of his followers—and his victims.

Yes, each House had seen casualties. Hector Harkiss and Athena Coddington from Ravenclaw. Two Hufflepuffs had died and a third was missing, all because of their outright support for Muggles. The Slytherins of 1978 had suffered casualties as well, but, as Dumbledore noted with a heavy sigh, they were mainly on the other side. All _five_ Slytherin boys from that year had become Death Eaters. Where had he gone wrong? What had he, what had Hogwarts done to turn these young men to evil?

And his thoughts turned again to Gryffindor. To Godric's House. To _his_ House. Why had they suffered so much? Why had they been _targeted_? Five students dead. Five. More than Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw combined. One student in Azkaban. Not more than twenty-one years old. Two in hiding, though for how long? The Death Eaters had found Lily and James. And, what really shook him, two Gryffindors had completely given up Magic and had gone to live as Muggles. The war, the strife, the struggles had so completely nauseated two people that they had _relinquished_ their blood, their inheritance, their talents. They were so disgusted with what the Wizarding World had come to that they had left it for good. What kind of a world was this?

The figures continued rotating in the air above the Pensieve. Lily, James, Gwendolyn, Sirius, Diana, Remus, Artemia, Janus, Marlene, and Peter. As he stared a little while more at their vaporous figures, Dumbledore felt the most profound sorrow on his heart.


	2. One: Beginnings

**Author's Note: **Millions of thanks to my wonderful betas Heather and Nielawen!

**CHAPTER ONE: Beginnings**

The early morning sun filtered brightly through the curtained windows in the small town of West Camford. All up and down Hanover Road men and women were rolling out of bed to greet the already stifling July morning. Teapots and ceiling fans hummed to life as morning routines began along the road, and the daily post flopped unceremoniously through its appointed metal slot in each door of the tree-lined street.

At number 17 Hanover, however, this ritual was met with great anticipation. Petunia Evans sat with bated breath right behind the door in the front hall, for today—July 20—was _the_ day; the day that Veronica Grant's invitation would arrive. As Petunia sat nervously smoothing her purple nightdress, her mother and father chuckled. The Evans family had heard nothing but party rumors for the past two weeks from Petunia's thin-lipped mouth. _Never_ had Violet and Spencer Evans seen their daughter more excited! But on this morning, a much more exciting and much more important letter would drop into Petunia's outstretched hands. A letter that would greatly outshine the gold embossing of Veronica's invitation. A letter that would begin a chain reaction, and that would eventually take Petunia's life in a most unwanted direction. However, this letter was addressed not to her, but to her little sister, Lily…

As the clock struck eight, Petunia heard the familiar creak of the mail slot, and a jumble of envelopes came tumbling onto her lap. Glancing desperately at the pile of standard-size white envelopes, her hopes faltered, and she feared the worst. Then suddenly, an enormous sapphire-blue envelope with gold calligraphy was wedged through. Petunia shouted with glee at the coveted invite, and hardly noticed a second large letter that shot through the slot a few seconds later. If it had not been for the wild beating of her heart, Petunia would have heard a distinct ruffle of wings outside the door. If the blue envelope had not been the sole focus of her attention, she would have noticed the oddities of the second letter. Its envelope was of a thick, creamy parchment. It was addressed most bizarrely to "Miss Lily Evans, the Third Bedroom, West Camford, Kent." There was no postcode. No, Petunia noticed none of this, not even the archaic crest in the upper corner, nor the thick red seal on the back of the envelope. She merely scooped it up along with the other mail and proceeded in a daze to the kitchen.

Upstairs in the very third bedroom mentioned on the strange envelope, Lily Evans had been awoken by her sister's delighted yell. She grumbled, turned over, and tried to fall back asleep, but the sun blazed too brightly through her soft white curtains. Sighing, she slowly sat up and swung her legs over the bed. Undoing her ponytail was somewhat of a challenge, as her thick red hair had a knack for tangling. As she yanked and pulled, Lily cursed the nascent morning, not knowing that this day would change her life. She stumbled blindly down the stairs, still rubbing sleep out of her eyes, and groaned at the familiar voice in the kitchen.

"…and Jennifer said there was going to be a live band and that we were having lobster as _one_ of our main courses! And here on the invitation, it says to bring a bathing suit, so we must be going for a dip somewhere! Oh, if only _I_ could have thrown such a party when _I_ turned thirteen, I—"

"Petunia, dear," her mother interrupted in a strained voice, "you had a fabulous thirteenth. We had thirty people over for Heaven's sake!"

"Well I know that mother, but we didn't have _lobster_ now, did we?"

Violet knowingly ignored this remark and let her eldest daughter continue with her ramblings. She smiled as she saw Lily roll her eyes and walk into the kitchen to grab some toast. Violet picked up the stack of mail that Petunia had carelessly discarded, and shuffled through it. "Oh Spence, dear, your subscription to _Stamp Collector's Weekly_ is almost up! Will you renew it? Spence? Spencer!" Mr. Evans finally looked up from his paper.

"I'm sorry love, what did you say? I was reading this _fascinating_ article…"

"Oh yes, always a fascinating article, eh? I _said_ that your subscription to _Stamp Collector's Weekly_ is almost up!" Lily giggled as she saw her father's eyes go wide in shock, and then snatch the notice from his wife's outstretched hand.

"What! How can that be? I signed up for 24 months, not 12! I'll have to phone them right away!"

"Darling, it's Saturday. No one will be in the offices. Just calm down and go back to your paper. I'm sure the stamps won't have gone anywhere by Monday…" she continued to rifle through the stack of mail. "Oh Lily, look, there's something here for you! And what nice handwriting! Is one of your friends having a party too? My, they certainly don't know how to address an envelope, do they? I wonder how it even got here!"

Lily put down her half-eaten toast and stared at the envelope. It was very large and very thick, and she admired the seal briefly: Four animals entwined themselves around a large letter "H." It was a strange way to mark the return address, but it must have been from her friend Sandra Howard; the only friend she had whose surname began with "H." She pried the envelope open and two letters fell out. The first was written on a fancy letterhead bearing the name "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Lily rubbed her eyes, thinking this to be some sort of trick of the light. Surely there wasn't really a _school_ for witches! They didn't exist! She read on, muttering under her breath. "Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin First Class, Grand blah blah blah, what is this? Dear Miss Evans, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of—_what_? Mum, will you take a look at this?"

Mrs. Evans put down the spatula she was holding, and picked up the letter. Her eyes widened as she skimmed its contents. "Lily, is this some sort of joke? Can you think of anyone that would like to make us all have a good laugh?"

"No mum, I can't! I think it's… I think it's _real_!"

"Oh honestly, are _any _of you listening to me?" Petunia chimed in. "I was just telling you the guest list, but nobody's paying me any attention at all!"

"Not now, Petunia. Lily's got a most interesting letter."

"What, Lily _Evans_? My sister got a letter? Let me see!" The letter once again changed hands, and once again, the reader got a shock. "_You_, a witch! Well, that about fits, you freak!"

"Petunia!" Violet shouted, and reprimanded her eldest, while at the same time profusely congratulating her youngest. "Lily, this is remarkable! I always knew you were special, but I had no idea you were a witch, did you? No, of course not, otherwise we would have expected this! Spencer! Spencer! Look up from that confounded newspaper for a moment, would you! Lily has exciting news! She got a letter—she's a witch!"

"Oh, smashing good job, Lily," he said sarcastically. "Turn my boss into a newt, would you? I'd love a holiday."

"Spencer!"

"Well Vi, darling, you can't actually think that the letter is _real_, can you? It's probably just a cheap joke!"

"Spencer, LOOK at the letter! This is not cheap!"

"Well then it's an _expensive_ joke," said Spencer with an exasperated sigh as he took the letter.

"Speaking of things that are expensive," chirped Petunia, "I've heard that the Grants are shipping in _thirty_ Andalusian horses from Spain!"

"What a load of rubbish, Petunia. Anybody important enough to do that would have enough sense not to invite _you_ to her party! Your ugly mug would scare away all those beautiful creatures!" Lily was still fuming at Petunia's remark about her letter. Finally, Lily got some recognition, but Petunia, as usual, demanded all the attention.

_I'm no freak_ thought Lily as her temper flared up inside. _I'll show you a freak, Petunia_. Lily imagined great tufts of purple hair sprouting out of Petunia's perfectly coiffed head. The thought made her laugh. The sight that greeted her when she opened her eyes made her laugh even harder. The vision was actually happening! Petunia screamed as coils of outrageous purple cascaded their way down her back. Great jets of pink hair followed, and stood up straight on top of Petunia's head. Blue fuzzy strands came out of her ears next, and Lily was doubled over on the floor. Petunia was wailing something awful, but Violet and Spencer were staring transfixed. The bacon on the stove was burning, and the Hogwarts letter hung loosely from Spencer's hand as he looked at his daughters, then at his wife.

"Great Scot," he said in an amazed whisper. "You _are_ a witch!" He and Violet swooped down and embraced their grinning daughter in a giant hug, while a sobbing Petunia ran hurriedly out of the kitchen.

"So can I go Mum? Dad? Can I?" Lily was giddy with excitement. A few strange things had happened to her before, but nothing like this. Thoughts reeled through her head, and she imagined a grand manor filled with tall, robed people running around with pointy hats and magic wands, pulling rabbits and doves out of top hats.

"Well, I don't know, what do you think, Spence?" But Spencer was now staring open-mouthed at the second piece of paper.

"Look at this list of supplies! Robes, cauldron, potion supplies, a magic wand! It's all here! Where are we going to get this? In London?"

"So that's a yes, Dad? I can go?"

"I should say so! I can't wait to see the stores that we'll go into! Do you think that witches and wizards have their own stamps?"

"Oh, always you and your stamps!" Violet teased. "Lily, of course you may go. Your father and I are thrilled! Now, how do we RSVP? It said something about an owl… Yes, here: 'we await your owl by no later than July 31.' Well that's something, isn't it! We haven't got an owl! Do you suppose they mean Petunia's parakeet? I daresay that even if we _could_ fit a letter onto those scrawny legs, Petunia would _never_ let us use him! Maybe we need to go buy an owl! But then again, how would it know where to send the letter? I suppose—"

"Mum. Mum! MUM!" Lily tried in vain to get her mother's attention. "Mother! Stop the rambling! There's an owl right there!" She pointed at the window above the sink, where a great barn owl was perched on the sill, hooting impatiently. Lily pushed back the curtains and flew open the window, and the owl hopped in and landed on her arm. Violet hurried to the junk drawer and grabbed a pen and paper.

"Let's see… what do we say? 'Dear Mr. Dumbledore and Ms. Mc'—what was her name? Oh yes, 'Ms. McGonagall….'"

Lily beamed with joy as the letter was finished and the owl flew away. Violet beamed and fussed with her daughter's hair, then yelped as the fire alarm alerted the family to the presence of the burning bacon. Spencer stared in wonder at his daughter, then smiled and resumed his newspaper reading. Petunia's moans could still be heard from upstairs, and there was no doubt she was imagining the horror of attending Veronica's party now…

Meanwhile, in a wealthy neighborhood in Wiltshire, another young wizard was about to receive a very similar letter…

* * *

"James, boy, what's the date?"

"Er… 20 July I think."

"Wonderful! Today's the day then!"

James Potter, a bright-eyed, messy-haired boy of eleven was just sitting down to breakfast in the spacious dining room at 423 Lancaster Crescent. His father, Charles Potter, was a well-dressed elderly gentleman with slightly knobby knees who worked as a barrister for Gringott's, the Wizard Bank. He took great pride in defending the bank's claims to the jewels they found overseas, and took even more immense pride in his only child, James. Today was the day that James would undoubtedly get his Hogwarts Letter.

"What day is it, Charles?" James' mother was Grace Divine Potter, a kindly, warm woman who worked in the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic. She, too, was proud of her bright young boy, but was forever frustrated with his unruly hair. She was fiddling with this very hair when James looked up, an eager look upon his face.

"Mum, today's the day I get my Hogwarts letter! That is, if I get in and all."

"Of _course_ you'll get in!" Charles boomed. "Every Potter for six generations has gone to Hogwarts, and probably before that too, but no one could keep decent records, the prats. You're Hogwarts bound, and likely to be in Gryffindor, too! Fancy a try for the House Quidditch Team?"

"Do you really think I could make it, Dad? I mean, I _have_ been practicing a lot with Sirius, whenever he's at the summer house." Sirius Black was James' extremely fun-loving, extremely wealthy best friend, whose family had a summer house—well, more of a summer _mansion—_a little ways away from the Potters. But before Charles could elaborate on James' sure skills with a broomstick, Grace interjected.

"Oh, I don't know James. It's so _dangerous_, flying around on those brooms so high! You and Sirius give me a fright every time you practice! And they don't take first years anyway, right Charles?"

"But they might make an exception for you, eh James? I reckon you'd make a fine Seeker!"

James reckoned that too, but didn't say anything. It would be silly to get his hopes up when he hadn't even _technically_ been accepted at Hogwarts. _Oh, come off it,_ he thought to himself. _Of course you'll get in. You're a Potter!_ This thought put a smile on his face.

Sure enough, James had just started into his second round of sausage and eggs when the Potter's mail owl rapped on the window. Mrs. Potter stood up, opened the window, and took the mail along with the _Daily Prophet_ that the owl clutched in its beak. She casually shuffled through the letters and bills, pretending not to notice the identical looks of anticipation on her husband and son's faces. It was when she started nonchalantly reading the newspaper that Charles cleared his throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Grace said sweetly. "Were you expecting something?"

James grinned as she handed him the traditional cream-colored envelope bearing the Hogwarts crest and seal. He ripped it open, and a look of delight came over his face. After he skimmed the acceptance letter, he handed it to his father. Charles grunted approvingly and said, "You're lucky you won't have Professor Dippet as Headmaster. If you ask me, it was more like Professor Dipshi—"

"CHARLES! Not in front of James!" But Grace's scolding was merely a formality—it seemed that she also was relieved that Hogwarts was under different management.

"Yes sir, James, you're in for a real treat. Professor Dumbledore was always my favorite teacher at Hogwarts—he taught Transfiguration, you know. He's a fine man, though. A fair headmaster. An honest man, and a right powerful wizard if I ever did see one. Now let's see that supply list…"

James handed it over, and silently contemplated what Hogwarts would be like. He always heard tales of the amazing castle, with its trick staircases and alleged hidden passages. A smile crept onto his face as he imagined being the first to find all of them. Charles and Grace beamed at their happy son, and began scheduling the trip to Diagon Alley.

"I say we go right away, don't you think, Grace? Get a jump on it?"

"Well, I'm absolutely swamped at the office this week. We have a council on Wednesday with the Albanian minister, and Transylvania will no doubt pop in on Thursday. There have been awfully strange reports from Eastern Europe… Dark reports, and it's giving me gray hairs!"

A look of concern came over Charles' face. He pulled Grace onto his lap and said soothingly, "You know, you don't _have_ to work anymore, dear. We certainly don't need the money, and the job gives you so much stress!"

"Of course I know that, Charles, but I _want_ to work. Uniting the magical world has become so much more important recently. You know, when Albus Dumbledore, bless his soul, got rid of Grindelwald back in '45, I thought everything was going to be on the upswing, but it seems to be steadily getting worse. I just think that—oh, sorry James dear," she stopped abruptly at James' expectant look. "I shouldn't be complaining about work when we've got such an important thing to plan! What say we go into London around the thirty-first, and get your supplies before August rolls around, okay?"

"Thanks Mum, that sounds great! I can't wait to talk to Sirius!" His wishes were answered, though, as a handsome young face popped into view of the window. Sirius Black stood outside, clutching his Hogwarts letter, a triumphant grin on his face. James beckoned him in, and Sirius slipped swiftly through the open window. Grace fussed half-heartedly that he could have fallen and hurt himself, but James and Sirius didn't hear. They were too busy catching up.

"I didn't know you were back at the summer house from London, Sirius!"

"Yeah, we Flooed in this morning. Mother kept complaining that I couldn't Apparate yet, said a proper wizard my age would know how. Guess she doesn't really care that it'd be illegal, eh?" James laughed, along with his father. The Blacks were a notoriously haughty upper-class family whose distinguished tastes often clashed with those of their roguish son. "Anyway, we'll be here until the thirtieth, then back to Grimmauld Place, and next day to Diagon Alley, I think."

"Smashing! That's perfect! We're going into town then, too. Wonder if Quality Quidditch Supplies would let us have a go on the new Cleansweeps!"

"Oh boys! I hear there's a new line of _Nimbus_ broomsticks coming out." Charles couldn't help but join in. He fondly remembered his own Quidditch days… "Aritcle in yesterday's _Prophet_ called 'em the Nimbus 1001 line. Said the broomstick would still have all the handling of a Cleansweep, but it fixed the braking problems of the Nimbus 1000 _and_ added a Drafting Charm!"

"Blimey!" chimed the boys in unison, and the rest of the morning was filled with delusions of grandeur atop a shining new Nimbus 1001.

* * *

Around midday, Grace Divine Potter received a most unpleasant scare as she went about her business in the kitchen. A burst of emerald green flames and a screeching voice made her jump and she turned around to see the head of Algea Black—Sirius's mother—in the middle of her kitchen fireplace.

"Oh, good morning, Algea," she said cordially. "You gave me quite a fright!"

"I did? Well, my apologies, Grace," said Mrs. Black, not sounding apologetic in the least. "I suppose my ungrateful son is causing trouble at your house right now?"

"Oh, Algea, you know Sirius is no trouble for us! We love having him 'round!" Grace struggled to keep her tone even, though the wretched woman's words made her blood boil. _How a woman like that is fit to be a mother..._

"Hmm..." said Mrs. Black, her lips pursed into a thin line. "Well, I'd rather him be home right now. His Uncle Arcturus is coming by the house later today and you can no doubt see he looks a fright; we've got to get him cleaned up somehow. Best if we could _scourgify_ his filthy mouth, but apparently that child-rearing technique is frowned upon these days."

All Grace could manage was a laugh she hoped didn't sound too false. "Well Algea," she said, hoping to end the conversation before smoke started spouting from her ears, "I'll certainly go track him down and send him right home. Not to worry. Tell Nigellus we said 'hello.'"

"My husband is not home—he's gone to meet his brother."

"Right, well, I'll just go get Sirius, then."

"Thank you," responded Algea, but her head had disappeared from the flames before the words were fully out of her mouth.

Grace slowly unclenched the fists she had been making and cringed at the lines where her fingernails had cut into the flesh of her palms. "That woman!" she screamed to no one in particular.

"I gather my dear mother has just popped in for a visit, Mrs. Potter?" Sirius said with a forlorn smile from the kitchen doorway. James stood behind him, and both boys were flushed in the face, their brooms slung over their shoulders.

"Nothing says 'good afternoon' like a chat with Mrs. Black," James said gaily.

Grace attempted another laugh, this one just as false as the last. Her eyes softened, though, as she looked at Sirius. _The poor boy_. But the universe had ways of righting itself... "Well, Sirius, she wants you home as soon as possible. Apparently your Uncle Arcturus is coming into town."

"Bloody brilliant," he scowled. "I probably won't bee seeing you all again until London, then. Uncle Arcturus usually likes to take a full week to explain to me how much I'm shaming the family name."

"Well, you could always try one of Viridian's new hexes! I thought the Cross-Eyed Confundum one looked good!" James added hopefully.

"Right, well if I pull _that_, I won't be seeing you all _ever_ again. It'd be straight to Azkaban for me."

"Oh tosh, Sirius. The day a boy like _you_ goes to Azkaban... Well anyway, do you want to use the fire? We have more than enough Floo Powder..." Grace trailed off, the proffered jar of Powder in her outstretched hands.

"No thanks, Mrs. Potter. I think I'd rather walk. But thanks anyway, and thanks for having me over today," he said as he headed for the door.

"Not a problem at all, Sirius. And you know you're welcome here any time you want. _Any_ time at all."

"Thanks again, really. Bye, James."

"Later, mate."

Sirius walked across the Potters' perfectly manicured lawn, cut across a few fields and through a garden or two, and was soon in sight of the Black summer home. He sighed. What wonders awaited him _this _time? Well, at least the summer home was better than Number Twelve in London. The summer home meant proximity to the Potters, and a great deal more freedom—relatively speaking, of course.

But at Number Twelve... Well, Algea and Nigellus Black were unlikely to let their least favorite son have any sort of fun in London if _they_ had anything to say about it. So his daily routine proceeded unaltered, as it had for the last eleven and a half years. Every morning he would be awoken by the violent arguments between his mother and father, by the distraught grumbles of the hated house-elf Kreacher, by the snide remarks of his great-great-grandfather Phineas Nigellus, whose portrait unfortunately hung in his dank and dark bedroom. And every morning he longed to get away from this house and from his family. From his maniacal parents, from his simpering younger brother, from the relics of the Black family that greeted him at every waking moment as he walked around the house.

What exactly had he done to displease them? It didn't really matter. Ever since he had let slip the barest hint that he did not, in fact, _hate_ Muggles. Ever since he had occasionally helped Mrs. Hagemeyer from next door, or talked to the Lupins two doors down, or had _any_ sort of contact with _any_ Muggle… His parents were just determined to hate him. Everyone in the family seemed determine to hate him. Yes, there were exceptions, and he relished trips to Uncle Alphard's house, or clandestine rants with his cousin Andromeda. But they were few and far between, and becoming more rare with every passing year.

But what he loved most were his family's frequent trips to the country. And though the Blacks' summer house was visited often by the dreaded Malfoys, it was only a few minutes away from the Potters. And therefore, Sirius could see his second family—his _real_ family—as often as he liked.

But there was always the inevitable return to the Realm of the Blacks. And now, that time was imminent. _Lord_, thought Sirius as he approached their house, _even our _summer _house looks like something out of Grindelwald's imagination... Who puts gargoyles on a summer house in Wiltshire? _

As he stared up at the ugly, twisted beasts glaring back down at him, Sirius was apprehended by his mother. Apparently mistaking his happenstance gaze at their décor for a severe offense against the family, she harangued him with her millionth lecture about the disgrace of the blood traitors in the family. And as soon as she had stopped ranting about her accursed brother-in-law, she set in on scolding him for taking so long to return from the Potters' house. And so continued just another day in the life of Sirius Black. How he _longed_ to be free from it all...

* * *

Nigellus Black emerged out of nowhere in the middle of Grimmauld Place in London. He had no need to conceal himself from ordinary Muggles—they were too stupid to notice an Apparating Wizard, even if he popped up right in front of their noses. Muttering to himself about the sorry state of the world, he crossed the street and entered his family's imposing brownstone, Number Twelve.

Merely two doors down, however, existed a family who would indeed have noticed an Apparating Wizard, _especially_ if he popped up right in front of their noses. But the Lupins were not formally acquainted with the Blacks even though their son Remus was about the same age as the two Black boys. No, the Blacks had not cared to stoop so low as to introduce themselves to the "commoners" of Grimmauld Place. And the Lupins could never be bothered to introduce themselves to a family who seemed so supercilious, so _above_ everything and everyone on the street. So two Wizard families remained blissfully ignorant of each other. At least for the time being...

Earlier that morning, at Number Ten, Remus Lupin had awoken with a start. _How many days left?_ Heart beating like a drum against his chest, he glanced at the lunar calendar taped next to his bed. He breathed a small sigh of relief, however, when he noticed that the full moon was still two full weeks away.

He was a werewolf. Every twenty-eight days as the moon approached full, Remus was staunchly reminded of this fact. Every twenty-eight days he dreaded what happened to him as the moon waxed, and then rejoiced gleefully as the terror passed and the moon began to wane. But the glee was only temporary, for as sure as Merlin's beard was white, the lunar cycle would happen again.

Sometimes the transformation was worse than usual. Sometimes he roared and raged and thought of a face—the face of the werewolf that had bitten him. He never fully recalled his thoughts as a werewolf, but that face would come back to haunt him in his human dreams. He could not escape it, just as he could not escape what he was. What he had become.

His parents had dealt with it the best they had been able to. A fully qualified witch and an intelligent Muggle man, they could nevertheless neither prevent their son's transformation, nor aide him while he was transformed. So they left the country home where Remus had been bitten, moved into an old brownstone in a forgotten corner of London, and shut their son away behind iron doors every twenty-eight days. They shut him away and attempted to shut away the howls and memories that came from behind those doors.

The iron doors led to an iron-and-magic-reinforced basement, which in turn led to the sewers deep under London. The Werewolf had free reign of his own section of sewer, nothing to keep him company but the rats and his inhuman thoughts.

It was no surprise Remus looked weak and tired before every full moon. And it was no surprise that sometimes people took notice of his appearance as the full moon approached. With four or five days left until the full moon his hair usually started to grow a bit, and get a little wild. His canine teeth would lengthen slightly—not really noticeable to anyone but Remus, but just a sad reminder for him. Two days left brought a definite downturn in his character, both emotionally and physically. His skin paled, his hair would sometimes fall out. And the day of the full moon? It was best to just not be around him... But today was solidly in the middle of the cycle. These were the best days, the happiest days. And today specifically was even better _and_ happier than normal, for he had just received his Hogwarts letter.

Finally, some sense of normalcy. Remus, thanks to the grace and foresight of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, would be able to attend Hogwarts. Hogwarts. His mother's alma mater, the best school for witches and wizards in the world, and what he had been dreaming about since he was a little boy.

And yet, as his eleventh birthday had come and gone in March, Remus had become extremely apprehensive that Hogwarts, realizing his disability, would not admit him into the school. His parents had done some research and found out that Hogwarts had never admitted a werewolf. But then Professor Dumbledore had contacted the Lupins and told them of his plan for Remus. He could go to Hogwarts. He _would_ go to Hogwarts. He would be normal, or as normal as he could be.

He had had more than an eleven-year-old's share of disappointments. But this was a fresh start. This was a new beginning. Albus Dumbledore had some excellent and intelligent plans for his unique pupil, and Remus was looking forward to Hogwarts more than he had looked forward to anything in his life.

But he still had his doubts. Oh yes, he had doubts. Would other students find out? Would he be shunned? Humiliated? Rejected? Would they shy away from him because of what he was, just like so many before?

"Remus, you cannot change what you are," Headmaster Dumbledore had said in a visit with Remus and his parents. How true his words were. Remus had merely nodded his head and risen from his chair, resigned to face the facts.

"But," Dumbledore continued, drawing him back. "You _can_ change what you _become_."

_I can. And I will_.

* * *

In another forgotten corner of London another boy was reading _his_ Hogwarts letter. Peter Pettigrew sat at the small breakfast table in the kitchen, his father beaming down at him, his stepmother glancing anxiously at the letter.

"It's a very good school, Frances," said Douglas Pettigrew. "I went there myself, and Nora did, too, of course. That's how we met."

"But you're not thinking of sending him there to meet his future wife now, are you, Douglas?" asked Frances Madden-Pettigrew.

"Well of course not, but still, Hogwarts really is just the most wonderful place, and I really think Pete could do well there!" replied Douglas, twisting his hands together just as his son was wont to do.

"I just think... Douglas, you know how Peter is about making friends. And now that he has a little group at Sudbury, wouldn't it be best to keep him there? His marks will improve and he won't be so far away from home..."

"Well, having him so far away won't be nice, that's right, Frances. I suppose... Well, I suppose I—I mean _we_—could think the decision through a little bit more, but—"

"Yes, I think that's a good idea, Douglas."

They continued speaking as if Peter wasn't even there. Not like it mattered to him. Though he was usually perfectly aware of and attentive to his father and stepmother's conversations, on this particular morning he was far too concerned with the hallowed piece of parchment he held in his hands. And he knew that _this_ time, _nothing_ his stepmother said would keep him away from Hogwarts.

Not that Frances had any ill intentions toward her stepson. She just was not a witch and thus did not understand the importance of the aforementioned letter. She had, however, raised Peter from the time when he was very young, his mother Nora having died while he was still a toddler. And she definitely was a persuasive woman, as her husband Douglas could attest.

"But, on the other hand, my dear," said Douglas, casting a nervous glance at his son and lowering his voice, "It is entirely possible that staying at Sudbury will remind him of... Of... Well, of..." He was unable to finish his sentence, and Frances saw that tears were gathering in his already watery eyes.

"Of Nora and of Elaine?" Her husband nodded. "Yes, that is true, I suppose. But sending him away will only increase his homesickness and will no doubt trigger unhappy memories, Douglas."

He nodded again and increased the velocity of his twisting hands. "Why don't we—"

"—ask him?" His wife finished his sentence. "Yes, why don't we." She turned to Peter. "Peter, dear, you don't want to go to this school, do you? Hadn't you rather stay here, close to your father and me and your friends at Sudbury?"

Douglas made a small noise of protest at the way his wife had directed the sentence, but his fretting was quelled as Peter shook his head, his sandy-blond hair tossing back and forth. "Ma'am," he said, addressing her in his usual way. He had never been comfortable calling her 'Mum.' "I really think I should go to Hogwarts. I really _want_ to go to Hogwarts. And I think Dad agrees, right Dad?"

Douglas nodded, his eyes again filled to the brim with tears. Frances gave a little sigh and picked up the Hogwarts letter. "Well, we'll think about it, all right boys? We haven't made a decision yet, understand?"

Father and son agreed but exchanged a glance that Frances missed. The matter was decided; there was no doubt about that.

* * *

And so the pieces were set for a game of such grand scale. The magical quill of Hogwarts had merely transcribed names into a book, not realizing the scope and magnitude of this task. And Minerva McGonagall had mailed the letters without the slightest inkling that in just a few short years _such_ a storm would be brewing on account of these children. Not even Albus Dumbledore could have foreseen the ends of the paths these students would eventually walk. But they all started at Hogwarts... 


	3. Two: New Friends, Old Foes

**Author's Note:** I realize that this chapter is incredibly long. Please forgive me! I could find no good place to split it up. Don't worry, though, because the chapters are on average much shorter. So if, for some reason, longer bits really aren't your thing, never fear, shorter is near! Also, heaps of thanks to the best betas in the world: Heather and Nielawen!

**CHAPTER TWO: New Friends, Old Foes**

Lily could hardly sleep the next ten days for thinking about being a witch. She had taken to running to the library every possible moment to research witches, wizards, warlocks—anything, really. However, her queries only turned up _fictional_ wizards, like Gandalf and Merlin. So she read _The Lord of the Rings_ and _The Once and Future King_. Mrs. Evans once poked her head through Lily's open bedroom door only to see her daughter point at a dusty old top hat rummaged from the attic and mutter something that sounded like "Abracadabra." Violet chuckled as no white rabbit emerged, only a moth and some dust mites. Lily only sighed. "Do you think I'll be able to do it, Mum?" she pondered, turning her head slowly towards her mother. Violet sat on the bed and pulled Lily close.

"Do what, Lil?" She prodded gently.

"Oh, you know, cast spells and stuff. I mean, maybe it was a mistake! Maybe the letter was meant for some other Lily Evans, and _I_ don't have magical powers! And d'you think there'll be anyone else there with, well, no offense or anything, but d'you think there'll be any other kids from non-magical families? I'm just so _worried_!" Lily fiddled with her shirt nervously as she raised her glossy green eyes at her mother.

"Lily, whoever this Albert Dumbledon is—"

"Al_bus_ Dumble_dore_, Mum."

"Right—him. Anyway, whoever he is, he _must_ be smart, right? To have that magic school and keep it hidden from all us non-magic folks? Hmm? And if he has sense enough to do that, then he certainly has sense to know which kids to pick. And that's why he selected you! It was not a mistake, I'm sure you'll be magicking things all over the place in no time at all. And if you want more proof, have a look at this. That owl dropped it off this morning while you were up here becoming the next Houdini!" She winked and dropped another thick envelope into Lily's hands.

"Right. Thanks, Mum. This will set me straight," she said unconvincingly. _Unless it's a note confessing the mix-up!_ It wasn't. Instead, out fell a train ticket marked for September the first and a letter, written again by Minerva McGonagall, which gave instructions on how to buy the required supplies. Lily's brow furrowed when she got to the address of the "Leaky Cauldron"—a pub that was the first stop for supplies.

"Charing Cross Road? But there's no pub _there_, only Stevens Records and that giant Humphrey Book Barn. This can't be right!"

"Well, maybe it's new!" Hypothesized Mrs. Evans. "Although, I can't imagine a _huge_ market for a pub on a busy street like that! Maybe it's more like a café! I'll bet it's really chic! Then again, maybe not, if it sells all these magical things. Right? This Cauldron place is where we're going to buy your supplies for the term?"

"Um… I don't really know, Mum. The letter just says to _go_ there, not necessarily _shop_ there…"

"Well either way, we'll go on the thirty-first, ok? That's when we've got to drop poor Petunia off at that dratted extravaganza, so we'll just swing through London as well. Your father has taken off work because he's near fainting at the thought of a magic supply store, although I told him not to get his hopes up for any exploding stamps or anything. I keep telling him…"

But Lily heard no more of her mother's musings as Mrs. Evans wandered out of the room, still talking to herself. The only thought focused in her mind was this Leaky Cauldron, and whatever wonders lurked beyond its doors. She imagined a grand department store somehow wedged in between the two huge shops that bordered it. Talking clocks and sparkly dresses were just making their debuts in her mind's eye when her reverie was interrupted by Petunia.

The eldest Evans daughter had remarkably sorted out her hair crisis with lots of hard work and hair dye, and Petunia considered her new hairdo quite stylish. Nothing, though, could _ever_ bring Petunia to forgive her sister for almost ruining the "bash of the century."

"So, Lily," she sneered. "I suppose you're still excited about your little _freak_ school. Well, don't get too worked up, because I heard Mum and Dad saying that you fell for their plan splendidly."

"Petunia, don't talk about things you don't understand," Lily shot back, although her curiosity was piqued. _What plan?_

"Ha! I guess you thought this school was real, right? Well it's not! You're a silly git, because Mum and Dad set up the whole thing as an excuse to ship you to some boarding school in Check-oh-vakia. Didn't you guess that?"

"Do you mean Czecho_slo_vakia? Petunia, do you have any idea what's coming out of that mouth of yours, or have the hairspray fumes just got to your head?" This retort was met with a momentary look of disgust, but Petunia regained her composure.

"You can talk all you want, but if you put the clues together, you'll see it's just been a big joke. Look, McGonagall is the name of Dad's boss, and Dumbledore is some nonsense word in the children's book Mum's reading for her class! Hogwarts? That was the name of a talking pig in a cartoon, and… and…" It was clear Petunia was running out of ideas. Lily seized the opportunity.

"Oh really, Petunia. Dad's boss is named McGonagall? It must be his first name, because his surname is McCauley! And the book Mum's reading happens to be a nonfiction one about that American John F. Kennedy—she finished the children's novel two weeks ago. As for the pig named Hogwarts? Wow, Petunia, that was a stroke of sheer brilliance. You've got me there. But really, come off it. It wasn't a joke."

Disgusted, Lily turned back to her letter. Petunia sat for a minute, trying to figure out how Lily had bested her. Finding no logical comeback, she resorted to her now-trusted comment of "freak" and stormed out of the room. Lily sighed, but couldn't help a giggle. How long had Petunia been planning that one?

* * *

The morning of the thirty-first dawned clear and bright. Lily jumped out of bed as soon as she felt the sunlight on her face, and hastily put on her favorite jeans and a tank top. Not stopping to brush her hair, she raced downstairs, anticipating a quick breakfast and an even quicker departure to London. She was greeted, however, with an empty kitchen, and a clock that read '6:30 am.' She grumbled, and ambled into the living room to flip on the television. As soon as she sat down on her preferred overstuffed chair, however, she realized just how tired she was. Her eyelids slowly drooped as she listened to a dim report from the foreign desk: "_Officials in the small, Communist State of Albania today report more strange fires in their densely forested regions_…" Lily was asleep in less than a minute. When Spencer and Violet came downstairs two hours later they found her, open-mouthed, snoring loudly as cartoons blared. Spencer roused her gently as Violet went to start making French toast.

Soon mother, father, and daughter were sitting down to the table. A clunk on the staircase nearly made Lily choke on her juice, but she recovered in time to see Petunia stumble in on four-inch white heels. The rest of her outfit was even more comical. She wore tremendous bell-bottom jeans with a hem that dragged on the floor, paired with an outrageous pink tank top with fuzzy yellow fringes around the sides. A different earring graced each ear: one a large silver hoop, and the other a long golden chain. Her hair, if possible, was even _more_ shellacked with hairspray than usual, and a lime-green headband was held firmly in place by pins. Lily gagged again as she caught sight of Petunia's makeup, and had to dip under the table to hid her snort. "Good morning, all," said Petunia casually as she sat down to the table. "French toast this morning?"

Mrs. Evans just stared mutely at her daughter. Mr. Evans, however, _did_ have something to say: "Is it… is it a _costume_ party, Petunia?"

Petunia looked mortified at the very thought. "Oh _no_, Father," she drawled sweetly. "_This_ is the latest fashion," she added with a haughty lilt, as if speaking to these mere fashion mortals required vast amounts of time and effort. Lily chuckled as she took a bite of French toast. Not even her most fearful temper could have conjured up this mess.

An hour later, Lily watched bewildered from the backseat of the family car as Petunia clambered in, tripping several times on her hem. Petunia shrugged it off as if nothing had happened, and prodded her father to get on with the driving. Lily heard a faint mumbling from him, and something about a _chauffeur_, but then they were off. It seemed to Lily like the drive to London had never taken so long, and she was dismayed that her parents insisted on meeting the Grants once they arrived at the "party grounds." However, to Lily's delight, these grounds were nothing remarkable—merely a picnic table set up next to a tent. A small group of children were milled around one lone pony, and the air _definitely_ did not smell of lobster. Lily squirmed with glee as she saw the disappointed look on Petunia's face. The day was getting better and better.

Finally, after the Evans had practically dragged Petunia out of the car, they arrived in London. Spencer dropped Lily and Violet off right near the record store and went to park the car. When he returned, he found his wife staring blankly at the space (or lack thereof) between Stevens Records and Humphrey Book Barn. There certainly was no pub there. However, his daughter had a most peculiar look on her face, and kept glancing back at her parents. She turned hesitantly back to the storefronts and asked, "Can you see it?" As the answer was a resounding 'no,' she took her mother and father's hands, and led them slowly to the point where the two buildings touched. Passersby must have gaped at the sight: three people, hand-in-hand, slowly walking toward a solid wall. However, as the trio neared the spot, the strangest thing happened. Suddenly there _was_ a pub there! A run down, dirty little tavern with a battered sign proclaiming 'The Leaky Cauldron.' Lily professed triumphantly that she had seen it all along, but all the elder Evans could profess was shock.

"Well! I never! I suppose… has it always been there?… but no…" said Mr. Evans.

"So much for it being chic!" exclaimed his wife.

But Lily was fascinated. Letting go of her father's hand, she pushed open the creaky old wooden door. Inside, she found a dimly lit but clean bar, with little tables everywhere. It smelled faintly of ale and cedar, and all sorts of strangely dressed people were staring at the clearly non-magical trio that had just walked in. The Evans felt like spectators at some sort of new-age fashion show, as robes of emerald, scarlet, and deep purple greeted them from all angles. A middle-aged, balding man suddenly looked up from behind the bar and waved them over. With a huge gap-toothed grin, he pronounced himself Tom, the proprietor of the pub, and then said: "And you must be Muggles!"

"_Muggers_!" said Violet, in a state of shock. "I should think not! I say, are all you lot this rude? We certainly did not come to _rob_ you or pick your pockets!"

"No, no, darling, not _muggers_, I think he said _Muggles_… Different ending."

"Oh." Mrs. Evans tried her best to apologize profusely as the color drained from her face. "Oh, I'm _terribly_ sorry, you see, we have no idea what sort of thing this really is, our daughter got a letter and our other daughter's hair turned purple and there were owls, and then we walked in between two buildings and then…" However, her attempt was in vain. Tom the barkeep looked at her with a strange twinkle in his eyes, and then laughed.

"Beggin' your pardon, Ma'am. Common mistake. Muggles, you see, are what we wizarding-type call non-magical folk like yourself. Best to get acquainted with that term, 'cause it'll come up a lot now that you've got a witch in the family!" He turned his kind eyes down toward Lily, who was still red from her mother's embarrassing mix-up.

"Yes! Well that makes perfectly good sense then! _Muggles_… A most _fascinating_ term!" Spencer remarked as he stared around the bar. Violet was still struggling to form a coherent sentence, and Tom just chuckled more.

"Excuse me, Tom?" Lily said timidly. "I got a letter from Ms. McGonagall saying that I was to come here to buy my supplies—can you show them to me?"

Tom again turned to her. "Certainly, miss, but you won't be buying supplies in the 'Cauldron.' Diagon Alley's the place to go for all your term needs."

"Oh…" Lily's eyes showed her confusion. "Well, where—"

"Go out of the pub into the small patio back there, right? Then take your wand and tap… Blimey, that's right," he said, smacking himself on the forehead at Lily's glance. "Ain't got a wand yet, do you? Well, go over to that man at the table in the corner there—yes, in the blue robes, and introduce yourself. He'll take you out into the Alley. All right then?"

"Thanks so much Mister... Tom! By the way, I'm Lily Evans, and these are my parents, Spencer and Violet." Tom shook everyone's hands and offered them all a drink, which they promised to have as soon as the shopping was over. The three then went to the aforementioned table, with Mrs. Evans still shouting apologies over the low din of the crowd. Upon reaching the table in the corner, Lily tapped the wizard on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, but my name is Lily Evans, and I'm going to Hogwarts this fall, and—"

"Hogwarts!" the man jumped up as his hat slid off his head. He was another kindly-looking wizard with knobby, roughened old hands and a small scar down his right cheek. "Hogwarts! Mighty fine school, mighty fine school. Went there myself of course, more years ago than I care to remember! Name's Bartholomew Bainsfair, and it is certainly a pleasure to meet you, dear Lily. These must be your parents! Hello, hello. And I suppose you want to enter Diagon Alley! I'm afraid that's out of the question though, unless you can answer me a few questions."

Lily felt all the color leave her face as she looked at Mr. Bainsfair with growing horror. She didn't know anything about the wizarding world, how on earth would she be able to answer questions? Mr. Bainsfair seemed to sense her dread as he burst into a raucous laugh, "Oh, only joking! Only joking! Come right this way, out this door, there you go."

Lily (feeling thoroughly relieved) and her parents stared blankly at the solid brick wall before them. Maybe this Bainsfair fellow was actually as crazy as he seemed… But he continued: "Tap this brick… Eh… which brick? Oh yes! This one! And _voila_! Behold the magic!"

The Evans beheld it. It seemed to Lily the most magnificent thing ever. Two trash bins suddenly slid to the side of the small enclosure as the tapped brick wriggled and squirmed, then joined its fellow bricks in re-arranging themselves to form a giant archway. The sight beyond the arch greeted the family as nothing before ever had. Bartholomew smiled a knowing smile, and Lily dimly heard, "You'll be wanting to go to Gringott's first—that big marble building over there. They'll exchange your money for you." Lily nodded, not fully aware that her mouth was gaping open, and stood transfixed beneath the entryway.

The hustle and bustle in Diagon Alley was nothing more than it would have been on Kensington Street at Christmastime, but it was _so_ much more colorful! Witches and wizards (she assumed) of all shapes and sizes poured in and out of the rustic-looking buildings, with various and sundry bundles tucked under their arms. All sorts of merchandise spilled out from myriad stores lining the twisting, cobbled road. Lily stood rooted to the spot, and only moved when her father made a half-formed comment about currency exchange—though it was hard to hear him over the squawking of owls and lively clamor of hundreds of witches and wizards doing their shopping. They slowly made their way to the grand white building at the head of the street. Nearing the entryway, Lily looked up and saw an ominous message engraved in the white stone. An involuntary chill ran down her spine as she saw two uniformed creatures opening the door for her and her parents. _Are these…dwarves? Elves?_

"We are Goblins, madam, and if you'd please be so kind as to not stare." Apparently Violet had asked one goblin the same question Lily was thinking, and she—like her mother—colored at the reprimand. Fully embarrassed, yet with satiated curiosity, the Evans walked into the large hall of Gringott's. A long counter was at the back, and hundreds more goblins were perched on tall stools behind it, performing all sorts of odd jobs. Wizards stood in queues in front of the counter, and the Evans joined one of these lines.

When it was their turn, only Lily had enough sense to stop gaping and speak, but the goblin beat her to it. In a slightly perturbed, yet forcibly civil voice, he said, "Yes, you must be a Muggle bound for Hogwarts. I'll give this to you quick, so take mental notes, please." He held in his gnarled palm three different coins; one bronze, one silver, and one gold; small, medium, and large-size, respectively. "The small bronze one," he gestured, "is called a Knut. K-N-U-T. The medium one is a Sickle. S-I-C-K-L-E. And the largest one, that's a Galleon—yes, like the sailing ship, and spelled just the same. Now, here's the tricky part." He grinned a sinister grin. "There are twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, and seventeen Sickles to a Galleon. I'll repeat that—"

"Oh, no need, um… Sir. I think I've got it. Twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, and seventeen Sickles to a Galleon?" Lily reeled off.

The goblin looked dismayed at being cut off, and fixed Lily with a curious stare. "All right, a good memory, I see. Well, are you any good at arithmetic? How many Knuts to a Galleon, eh?" Lily supposed she could have figured it out given a little time and some paper, but this goblin look very agitated, and her shaky confidence was wavering.

Instead, she said demurely, "Um… I'm not sure, Sir, but do you know the exchange rate for our… um, Muggle money?"

"Of course I know the exchange rate! I work at a bank!" he snapped. "How much Muggle money are you wanting to exchange?"

Here, Spencer stepped in. "I think 300 pounds ought to do it for now." He handed over the crisp notes, and received a medium-sized scarlet bag with a large embroidered "G" near the tassel. The goblin next proceeded to fill the bag with handfuls of Knuts, a few score of Sickles, and a couple dozen Galleons. He smiled curtly and reminded them that Gringott's did accept private bank accounts, should any money wish to be transferred into the young lady's care. Spencer thanked him, and the three moved out of the pristine marble hall back into the hubbub of Diagon Alley. Mr. Evans was remarking at how efficient the bank seemed, and lamented that the bank he worked for could not hire goblins. "They are so to-the-point, don't you think Vi?"

"Oh, yes dear," said Mrs. Evans distractedly, as she looked around in wonder. None of the three knew where to start first. Fortunately, the bustling crowd jostled them into the doorway of a large shop called Flourish and Blotts. It was a giant bookstore, but unlike any shop Lily had ever seen. She was used to the immaculately organized rows of stores like Humphrey Book Barn, and this store was _anything_ but immaculate. Books of many different sizes and colors were piled haphazardly on dusty shelves that went from floor to ceiling. Many of them talked, read themselves, turned colors, or changed places. The subjects were amazing as well. In the Animal section, Lily saw books on dragons and unicorns—two creatures she was _sure_ did not exist. The Fiction section screamed (sometimes literally!) titles like _The Hag that Came in from the Cold_ and _Spells and Sensibility._ Lily reluctantly made her way toward the crowded "Textbooks" area, expecting to find a more mundane selection of books, but as she withdrew her list, she was excited once more. She gazed in awe at the selection of texts, and imagined the classes that would be taught from these pages.

* * *

"Are we walking, Mum, or taking the car?" Remus Lupin asked as the clock struck ten on the morning of the thirty-first.

"I think your father wants to walk—Charing Cross really isn't too far from here, you know. Right, John? We're walking?" Rhea Lupin asked her husband.

"I think so. What is it, five days 'til? You've probably got a bit of pent-up energy, eh Remus?"

His father was, of course, referring to the upcoming full moon. "Four days, Dad."

"That's right, that's right. I should have guessed by the state of your hair!" He winked at his son.

Remus managed to smile back. His Muggle father tried so hard to make light of the situation whenever he could. It's not like it was a generally laughable state, being a werewolf, but John Lupin really had no way of knowing how much pain his son went through twelve times a year. So Remus would indulge him.

It was true, also, that he had a lot of pent-up energy. He wasn't sure if this was due to his impending transformation or to the extreme nervousness he was starting to feel about Hogwarts. Everything about his schooling had been settled with Professor Dumbledore, of course, but today—the journey to Diagon Alley—would be Remus' first test for himself. There would surely be Hogwarts-bound students doing their shopping today, and Remus was determined to act perfectly normal and, if he could, make some friends.

An involuntary shiver ran down his spine as he looked outside the foyer windows to Grimmauld Place. It was a sticky summer morning, but he still felt so cold. Nerves. It was all nerves. His foot started twitching—a purely animal instinct he hadn't yet learned to master. "Should we go, then?" He asked his parents, who were now looking at him with their usual mix of pity, worry, and pride. It was a funny thing to see his parents regard him this way. Few people could wrangle such a combination of feelings into one look, but the Lupins had most definitely mastered it. Day in, day out, the same look. Remus sent them a look of his own, imploring them to _please_ get a move on.

So the Lupins departed. As they drew near Number Twelve, Remus saw the Black family cross their own threshold onto the street. The Lupins and the Blacks _rarely_ interacted with each other. In fact, the Blacks were considered by almost everyone on the street to be extraordinarily supercilious and not to be dealt with. And that, apparently, was how Mr. and Mrs. Black liked it.

The Blacks had two boys, Remus knew. One was just as bad as his father—Regulus was his name, or something funny like that. The other, however, at least _smiled_ at Remus whenever he passed. Sirius. Sirius Black. Though the Lupins had moved to London from the country three years previously, Remus and Sirius had only ever had three or four encounters—one involving an extremely tense moment and the accidental setting-on-fire of the bushes in front of Number Eleven by Remus. He had been so nervous that day, on edge as the moon was approaching, and if Sirius had found out he was a wizard—well, then there would be no _way_ there would ever be a possibility for friendship. Surely the Blacks would not hold for such nonsense. And though Remus definitely recalled the curious look on Sirius's face, neither boy had ever spoken about it again. Actually, they hadn't spoken to each other at all since then, but that was beside the point.

"Hello, Mrs. Black." Said Rhea as politely as she could.

As expected, Mrs. Black gave no response, merely moved the wrinkled corners of her mouth into what could _perhaps_ have passed for a smile. Perhaps.

Remus glanced at Sirius just in time to see him roll his eyes. Remus had trouble stifling his laugh, and flashed a covert grin at Sirius. Regulus Black, the younger boy, watched the exchange with a frown, but didn't say anything.

"Bye, Remus!" Sirius called suddenly as the Lupins moved on. Remus turned around, unsure of whether to risk a wave. He decided to give a little one to Sirius, carefully avoiding the eyes of Mrs. Black, who was no doubt infuriated with her son.

"Horrible, _horrible_ family," Rhea said under her breath. "I didn't realize you were friends with one of the boys?" She was giving Remus another one of those looks...

"Oh, I'm not really friends with him. I'm actually really surprised he knew my name. But yeah, he's not too bad."

"Still, you should watch out for him. Don't want him or his family to... get wind of your... _situation_," John said to his son.

Remus nodded, though it pained him to do so. Was he doomed to be perpetually friendless? Because _nobody_ could ever... get wind of his... situation? When his parents put all those pauses in their sentences it was almost as bad as the Lupin Look. Remus hated that they had to speak in code like that.

But surely it was for the best...

* * *

After a brief, brisk walk, the family passed through the Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley. "So your father and I are going to go to Fortescue's for a bit, all right? And then we have to run a few other errands. Do you think you can get your cauldron and Potions supplies while we're gone, and then we can all go to Ollivander's?" Mrs. Lupin had a look of profound nostalgia in her eyes as she stood in the middle of the street. Remus nodded, and she handed him a bit of money from the sack. "OK, then, we'll see you in a bit. And don't just spend all your time in the bookstore!" she said, perhaps a bit too loudly. It wouldn't be the best first impression if his fellow students knew he preferred Flourish and Blotts to Quality Quidditch Supplies...

"All right, Mum!" He said, going a bit pink. But as soon as his parents were out of sight, he did, in fact, head for the bookstore. There was something about the smell of old books that Remus really loved. Maybe it was the notion that they were permanent, unchanging—well, maybe not _all_ the books in this store—but at least most of them. There was nothing quite like curling up with a good book. It was one of the only things that calmed him down before his transformations. Not like he didn't enjoy Quidditch, mind you. Quite the contrary, in fact. He just wasn't obsessed with it like most eleven-year-old boys, and had no real intention of trying out for his House Team once he got to school. But his copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_ was definitely careworn.

He was examining the new fiction selections by the front window of the store when something, no, some_one_ caught his eye. "You've _got_ to be joking me," he said to no one in particular. It couldn't be...

Remus placed the book back on its shelf and peered out the window again. He pushed the door open and began to make his way across the street, weaving in and out of the crowds of people. No, really, it _couldn't _be...

"Sirius?" he called, finally arriving in front of Eeylop's Owl Emporium, where Sirius Black was indeed standing.

"I _knew_ it!" said Sirius as he looked up and caught sight of Remus. His eyes grew wide with excitement. Remus thought he looked like he might start jumping up and down. "I just_ knew_ it! You're a wizard, aren't you?"

Remus nodded and grinned, an immense wave of relief washing over him. Somehow just knowing that Sirius was like him, would understand... All of his anxieties of the day began to fade away. Sirius Black was a wizard. Just to make sure, though, he asked: "And you?"

"Of course! This is brilliant!" Sirius said, shaking his head. "I can't believe, after all these years..."

"Well, it's not like your parents let us associate with each other," Remus said. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, though, he turned bright red, and rushed to apologize for any impudence. "I am _so_ sorry. I didn't mean that your parents... I didn't mean to say... I—" he stammered.

"Don't worry about it, mate. You're absolutely right—they're nutters," Sirius said, casting a quick glance around to make sure said nutters weren't anywhere near.

"Where are they?" asked Remus, hoping he hadn't offended Sirius too much.

"Probably down Knockturn Alley. I think my Mum fancies the owner of Borgin & Burkes."

"Seriously?" Remus said with a laugh. "I've always wanted to go down that street—just to see what there is."

"Not much. It's actually a bit boring. I mean, there is some good stuff in Borgin & Burkes, but it's pretty nasty..." Sirius trailed off, looked thoughtful for a moment, and then shrugged. "Anyway, are you going to Hogwarts, then?"

"Yeah, this will be my first year."

"Mine too! Which House do you want to be in?"

"Oh, Gryffindor, for sure. My mum was in Gryffindor when she went."

"Your _parents_ are Wizards, too? How did my parents miss that?" Sirius asked, wide-eyed.

"Well, only my Mum's a witch—my Dad's a Muggle."

"Does your Mum use magic around the house?"

"A lot of the time, yeah. It's really interesting, actually. I've kind of lived in this half-magic, half-Muggle world... It's kind of hard to explain. But she talks about Hogwarts all the time. She loved Gryffindor. If not Gryffindor, I think I would like to be a Ravenclaw."

"Yeah, Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. Gryffindor would be good, too. Really anything but Slytherin. Oh, it would make my parents _so_ mad!"

"Why?" asked Remus, a bit horror-struck. Did Sirius have some sort of death wish?

"Oh, quite literally everyone in my family has been in Slytherin. Creepy gits. My parents think it's the only way I can redeem myself for being such a lousy son." Sirius gave a casual shrug, as if he was not the least bit interested in redeeming himself.

"But you don't plan to do that at all, do you?" Remus asked with a smile.

"Not if I can help it!" said Sirius with a bit of a grin as he looked at his wristwatch.

"Oh, am I keeping you? I can go..." said Remus, glancing back at Flourish and Blotts.

"No, not at all! I'm supposed to meet my friend here, but he's late, of course. If he ever shows up, I'll introduce you..."

* * *

The very James Potter that Sirius was so anxiously awaiting was in Diagon Alley, but had yet to find his friend. Charles and Grace—who had Apparated to Diagon Alley—had met their son in the Floo Arrivals building, and were now insisting on discussing the course of the day with him, though he was drastically late for meeting Sirius. Quality Quidditch Supplies was so close, and yet so far...

"Let's have a look at that reading list, son," said Charles Potter. James handed it over, bouncing up and down on his toes impatiently. "These books are as old as I am, Grace!" exclaimed the elderly gentleman as he perused the list.

"I didn't think that was possible!" she joked, winking at James. "Let me see… why, I guess you're right! Old as dirt!"

James chuckled, while Mr. Potter chose to ignore the remark, and instead turned to his wife. "But seriously, Grace! We used these books when we were at Hogwarts!"

"Well I can't imagine there have been huge developments in Transfiguration or Herbology or Potions—they've probably been using these books for generations!"

This statement was met with a grunt by Charles, who returned the list to James. "Well, if you're going to be using these books, the classes'll be no sweat for you, James, that's for sure. Lots of homework some nights, but nothing you can't handle," answered Charles.

"Your father's right," Grace chimed in. "First year classes are only the basics. It's O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s that you need to worry about, but not for a few years."

"Those are the big exams, right?"

"Yes, but I'll wager you can wrangle up twenty or thirty Outstanding O.W.L.s, right Grace?" said Charles with a sort of proud grunt.

"My! Thirty? I don't think that's even _possible_, but we'll just wait and see, right?" She looked positively certain James could get thirty, though.

"OK, well, can I go meet Sirius now? I'm really late..." James said, grabbing his father's pocket watch and glancing at the time.

"Oh of course you can. Go, go!" said Grace. But as he ran away she pulled him back and tried to straighten his hair, but to no avail. She sighed and smiled at her son, whose bouncing had reached new heights. "Give me your list, Crazy, and I'll pick up your supplies for you."

"Thanks Mum!" he said, pressing the list into her hand. "See you in a bit!" He dashed away, leaving the Potters smiling in his wake.

It only took a few minutes for James to find Sirius, even through all the commotion and confusion of the Alley. He was talking animatedly to a tall, pale boy outside Eeylop's Owl Emporium.

James snuck up behind Sirius, putting his finger to his lips to keep the brown-haired boy silent. He arrived just in time to hear Sirius say something as he looked at his watch: "I'm supposed to meet my friend here, but he's late, of course. If he ever shows up, I'll introduce you. His name is—"

"James Potter," he said, interrupting Sirius and thrusting out his hand.

Remus grinned as Sirius jumped. "Oy, Potter, you scared me! Cheeky little bugger."

Remus kept grinning as he shook James's hand. "Hi, I'm Remus Lupin."

"Get this, James: he's lived two doors down from us in London for years, but I had no idea he was a wizard! I guess I always suspected it, though, right Lupin?"

"Yeah, especially after I accidentally set Mrs. Hagemeyer from next door on fire when she scolded me!" James and Sirius both laughed.

"But that old hag deserved it, always hitting me with that blasted cane," Sirius joked.

"Oh, I _hate _that thing! She really _is_ a crotchety old lady, isn't she? Well anyway, here I am, Remus Lupin, a wizard through and through, completely able to set people and things on fire." He smiled again.

"Excellent," Sirius grinned, somewhat mischievously, as if he was already planning targets.

* * *

About an hour later, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin intercepted the three boys inside Gambol & Japes to take Remus to Ollivander's, and James and Sirius decided to meander over to Madam Malkin's for their robes (stopping, of course, at Quality Quidditch Supplies along the way).

"So Remus is your neighbor?" James asked as the boys joined a queue for their robes inside the crowded shop.

"Yep. Lives at Number Ten!" said Sirius as he idly fiddled with a rotating bowtie in a bin along the wall.

"But your parents never told you he was a wizard?"

"Ha!" Sirius said, putting down the bowtie (which was now emitting sparks). "I doubt they knew." Pulling himself into an upright and perfectly haughty imitation of his father he said, "Nigellus and Algea Black do _not_ mingle with the other inhabitants of Grimmauld Place!" Returning to his normal, slightly slouching posture he continued: "Anyway, even if they _did_ know it's not like they'd let me talk to him! But at least now I can have somewhere to sneak off to when we're in London. It's unbearable there usually."

"Is he nice? I mean, I guess you don't know him much, but..."

"Yeah, he's pretty quiet, I think, but he _did_ set that cow on fire, so that's pretty neat! You should have seen the old biddy flame up! No permanent damage, of course, but oh man..."

James laughed as a harried shop assistant called him up to a vacant platform and started measuring him. After being fitted the boys moved to the back of the shop to pick up gloves and such, and were avidly discussing Quidditch (once again) in a back corner of the store when they heard a now familiar voice from the front—Remus was talking to a redheaded girl near the hat racks. James had never really paid attention to girls before, mainly being concerned with all things Quidditch, but something about the redhead made him forget about silly broomsticks—at least for a moment. She was quite pretty. "Who's that with Remus?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"I don't know mate, but it looks like they're coming this way," Sirius said.

* * *

As soon as she had collected all her textbooks, Lily took some money from her parents to go and buy her robes. A small chime sounded as she walked through the door of Madam Malkin's Robe Shop. The main room was brightly lit, but smelled of mothballs. Lily was reminded of her late grandmother's house. Three platforms for measuring stood in the middle of the room, each occupied by a young person with arms outstretched. A small queue was forming along the wall, and Lily joined it behind a tall, pale boy with longish brown hair. He gave her a small smile, turned to face the front of the store, and then turned back. He stuck out his hand, perhaps a bit timidly, and smiled again, wider this time. "Hi. I'm Remus Lupin. Going to Hogwarts?"

"Yes, I am! I'm Lily Evans. Are you going, too?"

Lily instantly liked this boy, her first Hogwarts friend! He seemed at once calm, yet slightly nervous. He had an easy, affable air about him, and she soon found herself engaged in conversation. "So, how long have you known you're a wizard?" she asked.

"Well, all my life! My mum is a witch, and my dad's a Muggle, but he's fascinated by the whole thing, so I was pretty much brought up on it!"

Lily laughed at her stupidity. "Oh. Yes, I suppose you would be. It's just weird for me, because I found out only ten days ago… It's a big shock!"

"I'd bet so. I don't know many Muggles at all—besides my Dad, of course, so I can't really imagine. Although I did just find out my neighbor was a wizard, so I guess that's kind of strange… Oh wait, I think this is me next."

Sure enough, Remus was called to a vacant block, and Lily giggled as a tape measure began flying all around his body. She thought it a little unnecessary to measure between his nostrils, but then again, maybe that was some strange custom in this world… She herself was called up shortly after Remus, and a haggard-looking witch began taking her size. "Hello, miss," she said shortly. "I 'spose you're excited for school and all… I know I can't wait for this frenzy to be over, right? Well, what'll be your wand arm, missy? Right or Left?" she asked as the tape measure began swarming around with some black cloth, which soon wrapped itself around her body.

"Um… I guess right…" Lily was right-handed, and she assumed this was the correct choice. She stared in wonder as a small, pencil-thin pocket began sewing itself into the robe's sleeve on her left side.

"Right. That little slot there's for your wand… Easy access, eh? Quite an ingenious invention; it'll save you the trouble of keeping it in your pants pocket! Well, you're done now. Hats are over on the east wall—self-serving, thank Merlin, gloves are in that bin by the back, and cloaks are hanging on the west wall. Here are your three work robes. Thanks for shopping at Malkin's. NEXT!"

Lily gathered her bundle, amazed at the speed with which the robes were made. She then moved to the hat wall, where a pointed red hat seemed to be selling itself to Remus. He politely listened to its sales pitch, and then moved toward the all-black section. She caught up with him there. "It's so much easier in the Muggle world, you know," he said as he tried on various black hats, "without talking clothing. That was the _third_ hat that tried to sell itself to me!" Lily giggled again, and picked up a hat. In tandem, they moved towards the bins to collect their dragon-hide gloves. As they neared the cloak wall, Lily caught sight of two boys laughing gaily amidst some leopard-print wraps. Remus also saw them—evidently he knew them, as he steered Lily in their direction.

"Remus!" called out one as they approached; a taller boy with longer, black hair and twinkling gray eyes.

"Hey, Sirius. Hey, James. This is Lily... Evans, right? She's going to Hogwarts with us."

"Excellent!" Sirius said with a somewhat mischievous grin. Lily blushed. "Lily, it is great to meet you," said the boy as he extended his hand without even an air of nervousness. "I myself am Sirius Nigellus Black, and I plan to be a Gryffindor. My ugly friend here is James Potter, and _he_ plans to be Seeker for Puddlemere United, or Minister of Magic, at the very least." The three boys laughed. Lily pretended to, although she was overwhelmingly confused.

Sirius must have perceived this. "Wait a tick! I think we've got ourselves a Muggle-born!"

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention that," said Remus.

"No problem at all, mate. We're mighty pleased to meet you, right James?" answered Sirius.

James opened his mouth, but no words came out. After an agonizing few seconds he finally came up with a lackluster, "Yes, very."

Lily faltered. Sirius's boisterous greeting had caught her off guard—mainly because she had no idea what half of it meant; it seemed filled with nonsense words to her. She shook Sirius and James's hands in turn. "Um… Thank you, I think." she managed to spit out, feeling supremely dim-witted. Frantically searching around for something, _anything_ to say, she blurted out the first question that popped into her head: "Um… is there really a Minister of Magic? In the government?"

James laughed. Apparently he had found his voice: "Well, not in _your _lot's government, no offense. We keep our own ministry. Keeps Muggles from bungling things up."

"Oh," said Lily softly, thinking that perhaps she should have kept silent. _Great. This boy doesn't like Muggles. I'll bet he's only being polite and doesn't really want me at Hogwarts at all!_ He must have sensed her discomfort, though, as he began to backpedal very quickly.

"Well, er, I don't mean to say that _all_ Muggles are prats, of course. Most of you are fine. But you know how people in the government always have a tendency to… er…" It was clear James didn't know the first thing about politics or the prats in the government. He continued, though, with apparently renewed confidence. "I didn't mean anything by it, I just…" Lily merely smiled cautiously as he trailed off. "Right then. Now that I've messed things up, somebody else take over!" Remus jumped in, as Sirius was laughing uncontrollably at James's way with words, or lack thereof.

"Do you all want to go to Fortescue's for some ice cream?" Remus asked, his eyes darting between the two boys and Lily. Lily nodded emphatically. Sirius was still laughing, but managed something like a nod. James, however, was far from laughter. He felt that he had wronged things up something awful, and a guilty feeling kicked around in his stomach. As he watched Remus escort her to the door he couldn't help but feel a tiny pang of jealousy. No, it wasn't tiny. It was pretty big, and growing with each step she took. James was driven out of his gaze by a slap on the back from Sirius, who gestured to the door of the shop, which Remus and Lily had just exited.

Together the two boys walked out into the street. As they neared the ice cream parlor, however, they saw that Remus and Lily had been sidetracked near the entrance to Knockturn Alley. James smiled as he saw Lily scrambling to pick up some packages from the ground, then groaned as he saw who they belonged to. A pretty, if somewhat haughty-looking girl with thick, dark brown hair stood glaring down at Lily with a look of utter disgust on her face. Behind her stood a few boys, some who were approximately twice Lily's size, and none who looked at all pleasant. James and Sirius hurried over and helped Lily gather the packages. "You've got some suspicious books here, don't you think, Bellatrix?" James sneered as he grabbed a black book titled _101 Unbeatable Jinxes_.

"Oh, Potter… What a nice _surprise_." She returned his sneer. "And Sirius, what joy," she said. James saw Sirius roll his eyes as Bellatrix Black surveyed him, a look of complete disgust etched on her face. "Cavorting with Mudbloods now, are we? I doubt that your mother will be very pleased!" She had an awfully chill voice, and James started to retort, but Sirius beat him to it.

"You leave Lily out of this, Bellatrix. She's got nothing to do with you or your _friends_, and we'd all like to keep it that way, all right?"

"Fine with us, cousin dearest." Sirius' insult had apparently not fazed her in the slightest. "We've long learned not to associate with Mudbloods. I just wish you would have the same sense, but I guess there's one in every family…" Her entire company sniggered, then walked back into Knockturn Alley. Lily was beet red, and murmured her thanks to Sirius.

"It's no problem, really, Lily. I just hope you didn't get frostbite when you ran into that frigid… well, into my _lovely_ cousin Bellatrix Black," he responded with a smile.

James smiled at Sirius's remark, but felt jealous all over again, and mentally kicked himself for not defending Lily first.

"Yeah, she doesn't seem very friendly." Lily said with a short laugh, although she didn't feel much like laughing on the inside. "And what did she call me?"

"Mudblood," James answered, jumping at the chance to help Lily. "It's a really, really awful term for someone like you. I mean," he stammered as Lily's face fell, "what I _meant_ to say is it's a really, really awful term for wizards and witches who are Muggle-born."

"They say it because it makes it sound like your blood is dirtier than theirs—which is supposedly pure and all. But there are a lot of magical things in the world, and blood is just blood no matter what you are," Remus added quietly, a somewhat forlorn look on his face. "You can't change what you are, after all."

"Oh, I see. Thanks for explaining it to me. I guess I shouldn't let it upset me, though. Insulting my _blood_ doesn't really insult me, does it?" She managed a weak smile, though it really did upset her quite a bit.

The three boys just nodded in agreement and the somewhat more sullen foursome continued on towards Fortescue's.

* * *

Lily pondered the day's events the entire car ride home. Diagon Alley had been remarkable through and through. Her mother was enthralled by the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts. Her father, on the other hand, had returned to Gringott's three times to admire their banking system. As a result of these trips, Lily now had a pretty sizeable account in vault number 117. But it was neither the shops nor the bank that Lily thought about now. It was the people. Three people, in particular. Remus had fast become a close friend. There seemed to be a common thread woven between the two, and they had promised to correspond over the next month.

She couldn't quite tell what had drawn her to him. He wasn't as crazily outgoing as Sirius and he was much better at expressing himself than James… But she knew these were just trivial matters. No, she thought that maybe the connection was deeper. Though they both got along well with James and Sirius, she couldn't help but feel that she and Remus were sort of outsiders, and this comforted her. He was shy but not withdrawn. He was friendly without being aggressive.

The other two boys confused her, however. It was clear that all three were good friends or well on the way to becoming good friends, yet Sirius and James had seemed so different from Remus—so bold; arrogant even. They hardly seemed eleven years old. She was still taken aback by some of their remarks, and also didn't understand many of them. Lily just supposed that wizards were raised differently, especially as she thought of the slightly sinister group she had run into near Knockturn Alley. They seemed to dislike Muggles very much, which she assumed was normal. After all, lots of groups disliked each other in her world; this distaste was probably bred into them. She was amazed at the difference though, between that girl and Sirius. Could they really be cousins? He was so fun and kind, and she was, well, not. _I guess it's usual to have one oddball in the family_, she thought. Didn't that Bellatrix even say as much? _"There's one in every family"_? Sadly, though, she very much suspected the oddball in the Black family might actually be Sirius…

A thousand stars blinked sleepily at her in the darkening night sky. Her parents were having a lively discussion about the Owl Post (her father was _very_ disappointed at the lack of exploding stamps), and Petunia had gone home with a friend from the party, leaving Lily alone with her thoughts. She glanced over at her new magic wand, lying in a beautiful mahogany box. Ollivander's wand shop had been a highlight of her day, despite the fact that Mr. Ollivander was more than a little creepy. She had foolishly waved around two or three wands without a clue as how to work them. Finally, Mr. Ollivander's long, spindly fingers had placed a thin, light wand in her hand. Immediately, she felt giddy all over. The chosen wand (made of willow, ten and a quarter inches long) had shot out many green and gold sparkles, and Lily was delighted to hear that it had a hair from the tail of a unicorn hidden in its swishy depths.

The revelation that unicorns did actually exist (dragons, too!) was only one of the many wonders of the day. She and the three boys had sat down for some ice cream at a fabulous parlor (she couldn't remember the name), and Sirius, Remus, and James told her all about the wizard's game Quidditch, a look of glowing delight on their faces. The thought of witches flying around on broomsticks made Lily giggle as she thought of the American television show "Bewitched." She asked the boys if any of them wiggled their noses to cast spells, but they stared back at her as if antlers had recently sprung out of her head. _Note to self:_ she thought. _Not familiar with television shows_.

In fact, Sirius and James hadn't seemed familiar with many of the topics she had mentioned. Telephones were relatively unheard of, stamps also, and they had never even _seen_ the London Underground, much less ridden on it. Lily could think only of the huge gap that must exist between their two worlds, and hoped that she could work hard enough to cross it…


	4. Three: Barriers

**Author's Note: **My betas are the best! Thanks to Heather and Nielawen.

**CHAPTER THREE: Barriers**

_"Tell me more about the Muggle world, Lily. I'm dying to know everything about you…"_

_What nice hazel eyes he has…too bad his hair's a little messy… "Well, what would you like to know?"_

_"Tell me about telephones. HOOT!" _

_Did he just hoot? Really? "Um… Well, they ring and stuff…"_

"_Fascinating, Lily. Tell me more about the ringing. SQUAWK!" _

"_James, why are you making bird noises? Ahh! Stop poking my face! Get off!"_

Lily awoke with a start as the hooting persisted. In a groggy daze, she opened her eyes, expecting to see James Potter sitting by her, carrying on their conversation about telephones while pecking at her face… _No, it must have been a dream… But there really is an owl in here! _ As her eyes adjusted to the blinding morning sun she unfolded the letter from the owl's leg and shooed it off her chest. The owl glided lazily to the open window and stood perched on the sill. _How did the window get open? Why am I dreaming about JAMES?_ These pressing matters jumped to the front of her conscience, but before she could sort them out, she began reading the letter:

_Dear Lily,_

_I got your last letter a few days ago—sorry it's taken me so long to write back. I agree with you about Petunia, but she's just jealous, probably. Her outfits sound ridiculous, though. At least you can laugh about them!_

_Anyway, I hope you're well and all, but I have some bad news. I know this is awfully short notice, but I have to break my promise to meet you in King's Cross on the first. Something else has come up, something I forgot about, and I can't make the Hogwarts Express. I'm really sorry that I can't come, but I've asked the next best people to be there! James and Sirius will be waiting for you at 10:30 on Platform Nine. You'll go through the barrier with them. Hope your summer's still going well—I'll see you at Hogwarts!_

_Remus_

Lily frowned as she finished the letter. She had been looking forward to seeing Remus again tomorrow, and would miss the rationality that he brought to conversations with the boys... But to say nothing more, at least the trip with James and Sirius would be interesting. She wondered what had come up at such an inopportune moment, but supposed it was absolutely necessary… "_Now back to that dream_," a small voice spoke in her head. _I suppose…_ She obliged, ignoring the other small voice that shouted, _"But it's JAMES! It's JAMES, Lily! Why James?" _ Ignoring that voice felt quite good, she thought, as did her fluffy pillows, her downy comforter, and the gentle breeze from the owl's wings as it flapped away... Soon, she was quite fast asleep.

It was well into the morning when Lily woke up again. But this time, the second voice caught up with her—why had she been dreaming about James? More importantly, why had she enjoyed it so much? Of the three, James was the _least_ likely to catch her fancy. He had the worst manners, and _never_ said the right thing, _and_ seemed to care the least for her. Yet she was forming this opinion after spending just one day observing him and his friends—might she be jumping to conclusions? After all, first impressions were sometimes wrong...

Because of these thoughts, Lily walked around in a preoccupied daze all day. Her parents figured she was just nervous for the start of school, and Petunia had long since stopped caring about her sister's moods. The day crawled by… Finally, it was night, and Lily packed her trunk by the white light of the near-full moon. She surveyed her room. She had never spent a long time away from home before, and was pretty nervous about it. As she piled in book after book, a gnawing, anxious feeling coated her insides. Tomorrow was the day that she would leave one world for another. It was the day when she would finally realize what being a witch really meant. It was the day when she would see once and for all if this whole thing hadn't been a mistake. It was the biggest day of her life.

Twenty minutes later, after Lily had carefully rolled up her poster of The Beatles and somehow squeezed her record player into her trunk, she lay restlessly in bed, a light breeze wafting through the window she hadn't bothered to close. Her fluffy black cat, Blanche, jumped onto her stomach, and Lily giggled. Lily thought back to the naming of the cat. She had been six and Petunia eight. She couldn't even remember why they had chosen the name, but she did remember much laughter at the expense of the small kitten. _Those were happier times_, she thought. This world, this magical world, seemed so great, such a blessing, and yet there were huge sacrifices to make. To be away from her parents for so long was something she'd never done before. The rift that was growing between her and Petunia was almost too vast to manage. She'd be leaving all her friends from primary school, and would most likely never care as much for them as she did now. She was being pushed through a portal, and her world would change. She only hoped it was for the better…

* * *

Lily awoke after a short and dreamless sleep. Her usual morning activities were performed with no flair or glimmer of excitement—really without any emotion at all. Lily came downstairs, sat down at the table, and started in on breakfast as if she were some sort of automaton. Mrs. Evans noticed her passive daughter and asked what was wrong.

"I don't know Mum. Nothing's wrong… Well yes, something is wrong," she said as she munched on a bit of bacon. "I feel like this whole school thing is like a cliff. What I mean is, I'm standing on the edge of a really big cliff right now, and going to Hogwarts could be good or bad—if it's good, I'll dive off the cliff into the wonderful water, but if it's bad, I'll get shoved off the cliff and fall on the jagged rocks."

"My! Well you've certainly thought that one through! But don't be silly, Lily—oh! A rhyme! How funny! … oh, what was I saying? Oh yes, you certainly _won't_ fall on the rocks, because you're the best swimmer I know!"

Lily was about to tell her mother that she had completely missed the point, but then decided against it. It was better left to mull around in her own head.

Too soon it was time to leave, and Lily heaved her trunk into the trunk of the car. She turned around to look at her house one last time, and then clambered into the backseat.

The journey to London was short, but it seemed to take forever, just as it had for the trip to the Leaky Cauldron. Lily was deeply lost in her thoughts when her father announced their arrival at the station. King's Cross seemed unusually busy for a Sunday, and Lily was relieved to see a plethora of oddly-dressed men, women, and children, with a menagerie that would make a zoo look tame. Snakes, rabbits, rats, owls, cats, toads, and all sorts of creatures stuck their heads out from brightly-colored bags, cloaks, and cases. Lily smiled down at Blanche, safe in his carrying case. He would enjoy these new friends.

And speaking of new friends, there were James and Sirius waiting right on Platform Nine, just as Remus had promised. As Lily got closer, she heard them talking about Quidditch (_Do they ever stop?)_. She cleared her throat and they looked up with a start. Sirius looked calm and cheerful as he smiled warmly at Lily, but James looked ready to… well, Lily didn't really know. Whereas before he had at least attempted to be somewhat cool and collected, he now looked extremely nervous, yet tried to pass it off by assuming a nonchalant air. The end result was very ridiculous. Thankfully for James, his parents noticed this too, and decided to break the awkward silence by introducing themselves. Lily followed suit, and introduced her own parents—Dad looking around in wonder and Mum eyeing a snake warily. It seemed they were not comfortable with the whole situation just yet, and they looked quite mad next to the stately Potters. The Blacks were nowhere to be found. Sirius casually explained that their absence was due to a prior conflict, and he had been staying with James anyway, but all present seemed to notice a slight unease in his manner.

"So, um, Lily, do you want to go through the barrier now?" James asked after another awkward silence within the party.

"_Through_ the barrier? How can we go through a barrier?" asked Mrs. Evans flippantly, as if James was telling a joke.

"Well, it's been bewitched to let certain people through: Hogwarts students and their parents. We just walk right through that wall there, and—" but James didn't finish his sentence, as Mrs. Evans was staring at the seemingly solid wall in complete disbelief.

"Here, we'll show you!" Sirius chirped, and he grabbed Lily by the hand and ran towards the unyielding brick wall between platforms nine and ten. Mrs. Evans gasped and looked ready to faint, but just as the two reached the wall, a group of backpackers walked straight through her line of vision, and Lily and Sirius were nowhere to be found.

"Well I'll be... Where has she gone?" questioned Spencer Evans in a low voice. Violet was beyond words.

"Watch closer this time," said Charles with a smile as he grabbed Grace's hand and walked through the barrier, leaving James alone with the panicky Evans.

"Er… I guess we should just line up then together and go through. It's really simple, you just can't be afraid of it. On the count of three, then? One, two, thr – oh, Mrs. Evans! You're not centered enough!" But his cry was in vain, as a loud _thud_ echoed back from the wall. Mrs. Evans had walked too close to the edge of the barrier apparently, and now had a bloody nose to show for it. Spencer found it hard to find concern for his wife, as he was laughing so hard. James smiled too, then steered a very reluctant Violet through the center of the barrier, followed by Spencer and the luggage trolley.

On the other side, the eccentric party of three found a concerned Charles and Grace, a silently laughing Sirius, and an embarrassed Lily, who looked aghast at her mother's profusely bleeding nose.

"We heard the thump on this side." She heard Sirius whisper to James.

"Happens quite often, actually, dear Mrs. Evans," reassured Grace Potter. "If you catch the edge of the barrier, you can't go through. Here, take my handkerchief… There you are."

In the meantime, Spencer and Charles were helping load the children's luggage into the cargo areas of the glistening scarlet steam engine. Lily looked down the length of the train, "Hogwarts Express" was emblazoned on its side, and smoke billowed out of its engine. It was absolutely beautiful. Fifteen minutes later, after saying her goodbyes, Lily found herself seated in a plush compartment with James and Sirius as the train's whistle sounded. She looked out the window, and waved at the Potters, then to her father, and finally, her teary-eyed mother, handkerchief still clutched to her nose. Lily smiled as the train pulled out of the station.

The three rode in silence for a while, too absorbed in their own thoughts to talk much. London soon faded from view and the train chugged on through the sunny countryside. Finally, Lily broke the silence. "I wonder what's happened to Remus—why couldn't he be here?"

"We don't know," answered Sirius. "He popped down to my house in London the other day and said that he couldn't come, and asked if James and I could meet you at the station."

"Yeah, and didn't you say he looked pretty bad—real pale and skinny? Maybe he's sick?" James ventured.

"Well maybe, but in his note to me he said something had come up and he had forgotten it. The flu doesn't make appointments, you know…" said Lily. Sirius and James just stared quizzically at her.

"Floo? Powder? Huh?" said James, feeling _very_ eloquent.

"What?" returned Lily, equally confused. "The flu, you know, the disease?"

"Oh! Must be a Muggle name. We thought you were talking about Floo _powder_, which would be just as confusing."

But James and Sirius could not answer Lily's queries about Floo powder because at that moment they were interrupted. "Well. What a sight," came a cold voice from the open compartment door. "Black, Potter, and the Mudblood. We'd better move to a less _inhabited_ car, shall we?"

"Good idea, Lucius," came a female voice from beside the door. Lily recognized her as the girl from Knockturn Alley—Sirius's cousin. Looking past Bellatrix Black, she saw two more familiar faces from the collision in the Alley, but the group seemed to have multiplied. There was now also the tall, older blond boy who had just spoken and was therefore Lucius. Standing behind him were a pale, flaxen-haired girl with an upturned nose, a pallid boy with waxy black hair, and a small, fidgety, mousy boy who looked completely out of place.

"Well, we'd appreciate it if you _would_ move, dear cousin," growled Sirius, knocking Lily back from her observations. "The stench is really getting to us."

"Yeah, and her _name_ is Lily Evans!" added James, feeling decidedly bold.

"We'll be sure to alert the _Prophet_, Potter, thank you," said Lucius in a sarcastic drawl. "Come along, Pettigrew," he said to the mousy one, who very reluctantly turned and followed the sweeping black cloaks as they swished out of sight.

What came next out of James' mouth was a string of curse words—many of which Lily had never heard before, and _none_ befitting an eleven-year-old. "Well, if I had to guess, James," she stated dryly, "I'd say you don't like that boy."

"Good job," he said bitterly. Sirius just stared moodily out the window.

"Who is he? How do you know him?" Lily figured any conversation was better than an angry and awkward silence, but she really was frightened by the scowl on James' face as he spoke.

"He's Lucius Malfoy. The Malfoys are one of the oldest and purest lines of wizard blood in the world—kind of like the Blacks," he said. Sirius grunted, his brow furrowed, as James continued. "Anyway, my family knows them."

"How?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story…" James said, twisting his hands in his lap. Lily could tell he didn't want to tell it.

"We've got time," growled Sirius, still glaring out the window.

"OK, well… We used to belong to this thing called the Society of Pureblood Sorcerers; it's a really old order of wizards, and my grandparents joined because they thought it would be all tea and crumpets with friends. My grandparents were both pureblood wizards—well, my whole family is—and they got asked to join when they were really young. They thought it could help them with connections and stuff in the future. And I guess it was just kind of a snobby club for a while, and so my parents joined, but then…" James paused, but Lily pressed him on. "Well, I guess about forty years ago, the Society got more and more anti-Muggle. When Grindelwald rose to power—" he stopped at her puzzled look. "Oh, sorry… Er, Grindelwald was like the wizard version of that really evil Muggle guy… what was his name?"

"Hitler?" Lily guessed.

"Yeah, that's him. So Grindelwald was a really Dark Wizard, but lots of families in the Society started talking like they supported his views on Muggle-borns—really nasty stuff. The Malfoy family was _really_ against Muggle-borns—almost wanted to kill them and everything. Lots of the Society members thought the same, but not my grandparents."

"Well, why didn't they leave, then?"

"Er… I think they thought that everyone was kind of mental because of the war and that everything would die down eventually."

"Did it?" Lily was completely enthralled by the impromptu history lesson.

"No, it didn't," barked Sirius, his voice full of ire. "Pureblood wizard fools are still a bunch of cocky—"

"Er, yeah," James interrupted. "Yeah, it kind of settled down after Dumbledore, yes, the Headmaster, got rid of Grindelwald about twenty-five years ago. But then just a few years later all the talk had started up again. Abraxas and Brigid Malfoy—Lucius' parents—were the leaders of it, and they were really good at persuading people to join them. They thought if they recruited wizards when they were young—like they did my parents—it would be easier to get them to support the anti-Muggle stuff. Anyway, it got really uncomfortable for my parents after a while, so they left. I guess that really ticked off the Malfoys, though, because they've hated each other ever since."

"But then how come you've met Lucius? Wouldn't your parents keep you away?"

"Well, they would have, but Malfoy Manor is right near our house. Both of our families are too stubborn to move, so Lucius has contented himself with being the neighbor from hell. I don't mind if he bothers _me_ now, but I wish he wouldn't pick on _you. _It's not right," he finished triumphantly.

"Well of course it's not right, but can you blame him? I understand where he's coming from, I guess," Lily said, in a very even and rational tone.

"But the whole lot is rotten to you!" James exclaimed. He had expected awe and respect and praise and _thanks_ for his triumph of Muggle rights and defense of Lily's honor, not an _argument_!

"They're only rotten because their parents have trained them to be!" she countered wisely. Maybe it was because she was still bothered by her dream, but it felt good to argue with James…

"But you're just as much a witch as they are!" argued James emphatically.

"Sure I am, but the Jewish people were just as human as Hitler, and that didn't stop him! Some people are just prejudiced!" Lily said, sounding quite confident. Inside, however, she was anything but. _Were there really people so prejudiced?_ If the wizarding world was filled with people who wanted to keep Muggle-borns out, how could she possibly fit in?

James sighed and raised his hands to his temples. He didn't know enough Muggle history to continue, but he knew Lily was right. _And so smart, _he thought. Her argument was advanced, logical, and well thought out. _Pity, she'll probably be in Ravenclaw and I won't see her for seven years,_ he reasoned glumly, for James, of course, would be a Gryffindor!

Lily had even surprised herself. She didn't really know where her answers came from, and maybe she shouldn't have argued with James so much. After all, he _had_ been defending her and all the other Muggle-borns—she should have thanked him and kept silent. But it seemed like she could be so much more assertive around the boys. In fact, it seemed like she _needed_ to have more confidence in order to match theirs! In primary school, Lily had always been pretty quiet. It wasn't that she was not as smart as the other students; she just never ventured many guesses. She probably knew most of the answers, but feared she'd get them wrong if given the chance. _But that's gotta change now. I need to show the pureblood types that I really do belong at Hogwarts_… She needed to prepare herself for whatever was coming.

The Hogwarts Express rumbled on, the three friends left alone with their thoughts…


	5. Four: All Sorted Out

**Author's Note: **Once again, shout out to my betas: Heather and Nielawen, you are the best. I do hope you enjoy this chapter. I did write the Sorting Hat song, so don't frantically re-read all the books because you don't recognize it. Of course the character traits, meter, and form are all JKR's—for that, I must give huge props!

**CHAPTER FOUR: All Sorted Out**

The last remnants of sunlight sneaked below the horizon as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station. As the train's brakes screeched, Lily awoke. Groggily she stared at the dark and empty compartment, a profound sense of confusion settling in. But she only had a moment or two to wonder where her traveling companions were before Sirius poked his shaggy head through the door. "Oh, you're up," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, when did I fall asleep?" Lily asked.

"Um, I think somewhere around the third round."

Lily blinked in confusion.

"The Third Round of the Quidditch World Cup—James and I were trying to predict who'd be in it. You don't remember this? It was between Ireland and Nigeria, and James said that if Pritchard was in top form and Shaughnessy's foot healed, Ireland would—"

"OK, OK, I remember!" Lily interjected before she was subject to any more prognosticating. "What a shock that I dozed off!" came her sarcastic reply.

Sirius completely missed the sarcasm. "No kidding! We were going to explain some technical maneuvers to you, but you were out cold, so we went to see some of our other friends. You'll meet them, soon, I'm sure."

"Oh, all right," said Lily, feeling very left out and _very_ hungry. Her stomach gave a slight rumble.

"Right!" Sirius exclaimed upon hearing the noise. "I almost forgot—we saved you one of these. Come on now, let's get our stuff; James is already off," he said gaily as he tossed her a small package. She unwrapped it and jumped as a brown frog wriggled out. It smelled faintly of chocolate, but Lily was far too scared to think about this. "Aw bugger, you let it get away!" shouted Sirius as the frog did indeed hop out of the compartment. "Chocolate Frogs," he explained. "They're right good to eat when they're not all rowdy. At least you still get the card, though."

If the notion of moving candy wasn't crazy enough for Lily, the notion of moving _pictures_ definitely was. She stared in shock as the small picture of a dashing young wizard winked and blew kisses. "Orestes the Overt" proclaimed the card, and Lily blushed as Orestes moved into a _very_ suggestive position.

"Who'd you get?" asked Sirius as he leaned over to see. "Oh, that randy bloke. He's a lively one, isn't he?"

Lily giggled while Orestes started gyrating wildly, then tucked him in her pocket as she stood and followed Sirius out of the compartment, out of the train, and onto the platform.

Through the twilight she could dimly make out a sign proclaiming "Hogsmeade Station" before she was jostled away by the dozens of children congregating on the station platform. The older children marched off to the right clutching cats and hats and toads while the first years grouped themselves awkwardly to the left. A great, booming voice turned them all around, however, as the largest man Lily had ever seen shouted through the crowd. "Firs' years! Firs' years! Over here!" Lily gaped at him. It looked like he could fit her entirely in _one_ of his hands.

The giant man smiled at all the dazed faces and introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid, "But yeh can just call me 'agrid," he said with a wink. "Keeper of the Keys and Grounds up at the school."

As the first years continued to mill around the giant man, Lily looked around for James and Sirius and found them off to one side, whispering excitedly to each other. She moved up next to them. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, we're just sizing up the first years," Sirius said, though his words were barely audible over the thunderous Hagrid.

"Sizing them up? Sizing _us_ up, I mean?"

"Yeah," James responded. "We're trying to peg who the other two Gryffindor boys will be."

James and Sirius had explained the House system to Lily on the train, so at least she knew what a Gryffindor was (and secretly wanted to be one, though she wouldn't let that slip to either of the boys). "But you said the Sorting happens when we get to the school, right?"

Sirius let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, _technically_, yes. But you can sometimes tell who's going to be in what house _miles_ before the Sorting. For instance, almost everyone from "The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black" has got their slimy arses plunked in Slytherin. I, of course, plan to change that."

James grinned and nodded. "And I'll be a Gryffindor, because it generally runs in the family, and every Potter since… well, since _ever_ has been a Gryffindor."

"And we were talking to Remus, and he figures he'll be a Gryffindor, too. His mum was, and he said if his dad had been a wizard, he probably would have been."

Lily couldn't find anything to say, but her hopes of being a Gryffindor were fluttering away quickly. How could she compete with people like James and Remus? People whose families had always been in the House? Or people like Sirius, who were absolutely _determined_ to be in the House? She only had a vague _notion_ that she wanted to be in Gryffindor, and that was mainly because Sirius and James hardly talked about the other three houses except to insult them!

Perhaps James noticed her forlorn expression. "Lily, don't worry about the Sorting. You'll probably be a Gryffindor, too. And if not, you'll definitely be a Ravenclaw, and that's the next best house." He sent her a sincere grin. It was probably the nicest thing James had said in the few weeks she had known him, and it did reassure her a bit.

"But if Potter has anything to do with it, you'll be in Gryffindor!" Sirius said with a wink that caused James to elbow him in the stomach. Sirius doubled over, but Lily wasn't sure if it was from the hit or from laughter. James just looked uncomfortable and diverted his eyes. Lily tried to pretend she hadn't heard anything, but she smiled a little nonetheless.

The sun was setting fast, and Hagrid was now calling for the first years to follow him down a steep, sharp path, single file. Lily walked ahead of Sirius and James who were still whispering. Every once in a while Lily would catch a fragment of a name, but she wasn't really paying attention. She was mainly trying to drink in her surroundings, which even in the darkening night were magnificent. The night was sort of chilly and Lily was wondering how long the walk to the castle was when she heard Hagrid's voice announce that they would get their first glimpse of the castle in a few seconds. Sure enough, the path widened and all of a sudden the students were standing on the bank of a grand lake. Its glossy black surface sparkled brilliantly in the light of the full moon, the same moon that was now illuminating the awe-inspiring Hogwarts Castle.

Lily could hardly speak. The castle was absolutely breathtaking. It was just as she had imagined. No, it was _better_ than she had imagined. Even Sirius and James seemed to be a bit struck by its elegance, for they stopped their whisperings for a few seconds. The groundskeeper Hagrid seemed lost in the moment as well: it was a full minute before he came to his senses and told the students, albeit a bit teary-eyed, to board the little boats that were tied to the shore.

"Four to a boat, please!" he called. Lily approached one of the boats, feeling some serious misgivings about whether or not it could carry her and three other people across a lake… But as she was about to step in the boat, the pallid, waxy-haired boy she had seen on the train with Lucius Malfoy jumped in front of her and into the boat. "Sorry," he said to her, though he didn't look it. "This boat's taken."

"Oh, I see," Lily said, stepping back and raising her eyebrows in surprise. _That was kind of rude_, she thought, but was willing to let it go. Unfortunately, her friends were not.

"Slimy git!" Sirius approached the boat. "That was _her_ boat! Get out of it!"

"Sirius, really, it's OK. We'll get into another boat." Lily was backing away from the situation. She did _not_ want to get into trouble on the first day! No, not even the first _day_—the first _hour_ that she was at Hogwarts! _If only Remus was here_!

"No, Lily, it's not OK. It is, in fact, really rude! So budge up, greaseball!" James had now joined in the fracas.

But neither Lily nor the boy in the boat had an opportunity to respond. Hagrid had gotten wind of the dilemma and called out, "Hey, whas' goin' on over there? Four to a boat; hurry up now!"

Lily grabbed James and Sirius by the arms. "Come on, guys. Really, we'll just get into another boat."

The boys followed, but reluctantly, and the threesome found themselves safely seated in another vessel. "You didn't have to call him greasy," Lily said in a low whisper as she climbed in the boat.

"Sirius called him slimy!" James said, taken aback that Lily was criticizing only him.

"Well, OK, that's not much better. I mean, thank you for coming to my rescue and all, but it's not worth getting into an argument over!"

James just grunted in response and joined Sirius in sending nasty glances over to the boy, whose stolen boat was now filled with three additional boys.

The tense silence was soon broken, however, as a pretty blonde girl approached the boat. "Excellent," murmured Sirius under his breath, and nudged James in the ribs. Lily suddenly got a distinct feeling that she was not going to like this girl…

"Hi, mind if I join you? All the other boats are full."

"Sure! No problem. Step aboard." Sirius said gaily. Lily snorted at his abundance of glee, and smiled when she noticed the blonde girl seemed to think him rather silly as well.

"Thank you so much. My name is Diana, by the way. Diana Denham." She reached out and shook their hands in turn. Soon Diana and the boys were deep in conversation about the merits of Gryffindor House. _Great_, thought Lily, _more competition_.

The boats glided smoothly across the opaline surface of the lake, through a curtain of damp ivy, through a cavernous underground tunnel, and finally came to rest on a murky, rock-strewn shore that must have been somewhere underneath the castle. As they scrambled out of the boats, Lily noticed a girl with frizzy brown hair and glasses next to her, shivering slightly and muttering something about caves. Hagrid shepherded the students up a pathway cut into the stone, his lantern casting odd shadows along the rock surfaces. A flight of slippery stone steps followed the rocky pathway, and then they were at the massive, carved oak front door of the castle.

Hagrid knocked three times on the door, which was immediately thrown open. A tall woman stood on the threshold. She had a slightly pinched face and looked rather severe, but when Hagrid said, "Here are the firs' years, Professor McGonagall," she managed a thin-lipped smile.

"Thank you, Hagrid. Follow me, students. And welcome to Hogwarts. As you heard, I am Professor McGonagall. All of you have been receiving correspondence from me all summer long, and I do hope you have followed my instructions explicitly." She sent them another smile, though it was not quite as reassuring. Lily began to doubt that she had followed all the instructions correctly. Professor McGonagall continued as she ushered the students through the great oaken door. "I am Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts under Professor Albus Dumbledore, your Headmaster. I am also the Transfiguration Master and Head of Gryffindor House."

Lily saw James and Sirius exchange glances wide-eyed with fright. She smiled. Surely this stern woman would not be as yielding to their mischievous ways as they had hoped. Lily was more concerned about what a "Transfiguration Master" was. It sounded to her more like an action figure than a teacher.

The students got a brief glimpse of the grandiose entrance hall before being led into a small antechamber off to one side. They could hear the low din of hundreds of voices in a room off to their right, but in the dark room filled with first years there was no talking. The students all dutifully listened to Professor McGonagall as she explained the Sorting and the House Championship, then watched as she turned from them and walked out of the chamber.

The silence was punctuated by a few short-lived whispers, but the first years all seemed to be feeling the same nausea-inducing mixture of nervousness and anticipation. Lily felt like she had a hundred Chocolate Frogs hopping around in her stomach. Finally, after what seemed like _hours_, Professor McGonagall returned, a stool, a hat, and a scroll in her arms. "Follow me, please," she said curtly, and led the students back through the entrance hall and through a large set of double doors.

If Lily thought the entrance hall was splendid, it was a broom cupboard compared to the room that the students now stood in. The Great Hall was absolutely radiant. Lily wanted to freeze time just so she could adequately take in the sight. She couldn't decide what she liked more: the huge, crowded tables, the thousands of candles floating in the air, or the resplendent table at the front of the hall and the smiling faces of the teachers that sat there. But then she saw the ceiling. It seemed to be bewitched to mimic the night sky, because Lily saw the same round moon that had just guided their journey across the lake.

She was still staring up at the ceiling when the line started to move. The students marched along the back wall of the room, then up the middle between two of the tables filled with students. Lily's anxiety kicked into overdrive at the thought of so many hundreds of eyes staring at her, but she kept her head straight and soldiered on. Professor McGonagall lined them up in front of the staff table, and Lily caught a glimpse of a beaming man with the most incredible beard before she turned around to face the other students.

Professor McGonagall next placed the old raggedy hat on a small stool and stepped back. There was a deafening silence in the hall, and Lily wondered if something had gone wrong. But before she could give voice to her concerns, the hat's brim burst open and, like the hats in Madam Malkin's shop, began to speak. No, began to _sing_:

_A millennium ago, or so_

_On the ground on which you stand_

_Four wizards came together,_

_United mind and hand._

_Sir Slytherin there was right here,_

_And his friend Sir Gryffindor._

_Ladies Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw_

_Also came across the moor._

_Joined indeed were these true friends_

_By an idea each one had:_

"_Let's train young wizard children,_

_Be they lass or lad._

"_We'll take the finest of each age,_

_If they are so inclined,_

_To come and learn and fill their heads_

_And be brightest of their kind."_

_So Hogwarts then was founded_

_And the Sorting did begin._

_This task is mine and mine alone:_

_To tell where you'll fit in._

_Perhaps you'll be in Slytherin_

_If ambition drives you._

_Power, purpose and cleverness_

_Are what will be inside you._

_Or if learning is your game_

_And you always play to win,_

_Then wise and cultured Ravenclaw_

_Is the House I'll put you in._

_If loyalty and honest work_

_Are what make your gears turn,_

_Then Hufflepuff will fit you best,_

_A fact you will soon learn._

_And now we find the final house_

_For those gallant, brave, and more:_

_Your boldness, wit, and chivalry_

_Are best in Gryffindor._

_Four Houses great they all remain,_

_Yet each with pro and con._

_You'll find out which will be your home_

_When you try me on._

_So go ahead and have no fear!_

_I think that you will find_

_Not only do I fit just right,_

_I'm also very kind._

The deafening silence resumed for the briefest of seconds, and then the whole hall erupted in laughter and applause. Lily grinned and joined in the frantic clapping.

Before she had time to compose her thoughts, though, and actually decide which house sounded best for her, Professor McGonagall had unrolled her parchment, a raven-haired girl had put the hat on, and "Aldeberan, Selene," became the first Slytherin. Lily watched her prance over to the Slytherin table where she spotted the all-too familiar faces of Bellatrix Black and the rest of the gang. Sirius and James were hissing so loudly they sounded like steaming teakettles.

A corpulent blond boy, "Aubrey, Bertram," became the first Hufflepuff. Then came "Avery, Deimon," another shrewd-looking Slytherin. A girl and a boy were then sorted into Ravenclaw, and Professor McGonagall called "Black, Narcissa" to the stool. Over her shoulder Lily could see Sirius gagging himself. Lily giggled, despite the fact that many eyes were still trained upon her. Narcissa—of course—became a Slytherin. Then it was time for Sirius.

The hat seemed to take a longer time for him than it had for the other students. At one point, Lily was _sure_ she saw Sirius's body shaking, as if he was having a good laugh with the hat. Sure enough, after a moment or two more the hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" and Sirius emerged, positively beaming. The Gryffindor table looked confused for a moment, but upon registering the looks of abhorrence plastered all over the Slytherins, the whole table broke into applause. As Sirius strode over to join the Gryffindors, he shot one backwards glance at the Slytherins, as if to signify that _that_ part of his life was now over.

A few more students were called up to the stool, and for a while it seemed that Sirius would be the _only_ Gryffindor. But then "Denham, Diana," the pretty blonde girl from the boat, put on the hat and within moments was pronounced a Gryffindor. Lily couldn't help but feel her spirits sink just a fraction of an inch, especially when she saw the look James shot Sirius, and how the latter scooted over on the bench to make room for Diana.

She was still looking at the Gryffindor table as "Elphick, Erwin" became a Hufflepuff. And then Professor McGonagall called her name. She heard the "Evans, Lily" as if she was miles underwater and McGonagall was calling to her from on shore. The world seemed to shift in and out of focus, and Lily had the most bizarre feeling that time was slowing down as she walked to the hat. Her insecurities sprang up again, and this time she was _sure_ the hat would tell her what no one else had: that she didn't belong at Hogwarts, and she should get back on the train and go home.

But the hat, in fact, had other plans for Lily: "Ahh yes, Miss Evans," a soft voice said in her ear as soon as she was enclosed in the darkness of the hat. "We have a few choices for you, don't we? You would do all right in Ravenclaw, I suppose, but that's not what you want, is it now?" Lily didn't know if she should _say_ something or not, but she thought _'no,'_ and apparently that was enough. "Yes, I thought not," the hat continued. "It seems that you are somewhat determined to get into old Gryffindor's house! Great students have come out of that house. Very great indeed. And I think you could be one of them. You've got quite a bit of anxiety, that's true—perhaps the friendly Hufflepuffs could help you out with that." _'No_,' thought Lily again. "Ah ha, I thought you would think that. Just a test, just a test. Yes, I suspected this from the first instant I plopped down on your head. You've got all the qualities of a GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily managed a weak smile as she whipped the hat off her head. She looked over to the table and saw Sirius giving her a thumbs-up. No, she saw Sirius giving _James_ a thumbs-up, but as soon as he saw Lily, he hastily put his thumb down, smiled, and beckoned her over to the Gryffindors. All down the length of the table she was greeted and patted and shaken, so by the time she reached Sirius at the end of the table she was grinning quite broadly. He gave her another reassuring smile and Diana Denham congratulated her. Lily inhaled a deep breath and turned her attention back to the Sorting. _It wasn't a mistake!_ she finally let herself think. And this time, she believed it.

The girl right after Lily, "Goldsmith, Artemia," had also become a Gryffindor, but Lily didn't notice until Artemia appeared at her side. Startled, she moved over and Artemia sat down. She was a short black girl with braided hair and a wide smile. "Which of the boys do you want in Gryffindor?" she whispered in Lily's ear. Lily giggled and answered truthfully that she hadn't really surveyed them. Artemia grinned and pointed to James. "I'm hoping for him. Although that blond boy isn't too bad, either!" She had indicated a tall blond boy standing next to the "greasy" boy that had stolen her boat. Lily just gave Artemia a noncommittal grunt and turned her eyes back to the stool, where "Killeffer, Janus" was taking off the hat and walking toward the Gryffindor table. It looked like Sirius and James did not know this boy, as they both just shrugged at each other.

Lily was one of the few in the Great Hall who noticed the gap between "Lovegood, Basil" ("RAVENCLAW!") and "Lycans, Fiona" ("RAVENCLAW!"). But she looked sideways at Sirius and over to James, both of whom gave her knowing stares. "Lupin, Remus," should have filled that gap, but none of them knew where he was.

Her thoughts strayed to Remus for a while, and she zoned out of the Sorting. Where on earth was he? It seemed so strange that something would be _so_ important that he would miss his own Sorting! Lily wondered if another boy would take his "place" as a Gryffindor—at least, take the place that Sirius and James had arbitrarily awarded him. Her fears increased as "Pettigrew, Peter," the small, mousy boy that had been with the Slytherin gang on the train became a Gryffindor. James and Sirius exchanged a brief look of confusion, but then James was called up to the hat.

While the hat was deliberating with James (which didn't take very long at all), Lily welcomed Peter. He looked out of place here, too, and nervously took his seat next to Artemia. He was fidgeting with his hands in his lap and every once in a while stealing a glance at the Slytherin table. But nobody over there was paying him any attention, either.

Artemia let out a small cheer when the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" for James. He seemed to be pretty familiar with a few of the older students at the table—probably friends of the family, Lily surmised. But he reserved his biggest smiles for her and Sirius, and took the spot between them. "Excellent!" Sirius exclaimed. "I don't think any of the rest of those boys could be a Gryffindor, which means the last place will go to Remus!" Sirius had a point. Lily looked back at the line-up in time to see "Shingleton, Gaspard," become a Ravenclaw, and only two boys remained to be Sorted. One was a great, burly boy with a distinctively evil air about him (astonishing, as he was only eleven and many yards away!), and the other was the boy who had stolen her boat. The boat-boy moved up to the stool next as Professor McGonagall called his name: "Snape, Severus."

"Did she say _Snivellus_?" James asked with a grin. Artemia let out a laugh that was perhaps a _bit_ too hearty, but James apparently didn't notice. Sirius called out, "I knew it!" as Snape was made a Slytherin. Two girls became Ravenclaws, followed by a girl for Hufflepuff, and then the burly boy ("Wilkes, Orcus") moved over to join Severus Snape at the Slytherin table.

With that, the Sorting was over. Professor McGonagall put away her scroll and carried off the stool and Sorting Hat. There was another silence in the Hall before the Headmaster stood. "Hello, dear friends, old and new. I am your Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, and all I can say is welcome to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The "hurrahs" were deafening. All around the Hall, students stood up and clapped. Many began to bang their golden goblets on the tables. A few hopped up on the benches and stamped their feet. Dumbledore smiled broadly as he surveyed the scene. He wore a purple hat and half-moon spectacles, and his eyes were joyful behind them. He raised his hands to quiet the Hall, and the commotion eventually died down.

"Well," Dumbledore continued, his eyes still twinkling. "Before our excellent feast, I would like to say a few words to you all. As you all know, a school is only as good as its staff and its students, and I know we have the finest of both assembled right here before me, as evidenced by that amazing display of affection for our fair institution. Now for the start-of-term announcements. Due to an unprecedented number of thestral births, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds even for classes until our gamekeeper Hagrid can sort out the situation." Dumbledore glanced down at Hagrid who gave him a little salute. The Headmaster smiled and turned back to the students: "And after _that_, I'm afraid the Forest is still very much Forbidden. But you should see the thestrals!" When this remark was met with silence, Dumbledore merely cleared his throat and continued. "Also, our caretaker Mr. Pringle has recently told me that if he finds another Dungbomb _anywhere_ in the school, he will have no choice but to resign. Take that as you will," Dumbledore concluded mysteriously, though the corners of his mouth were twitching as if he was trying to conceal a smile. Lily noticed that many of the other teachers were disregarding Dumbledore's discretion and smirking broadly.

"Finally, dear students, I have a few teaching announcements. Professor Alexander Datum has been hired to fill the Arithmancy post vacated by dear Professor Parks. And the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Master will be filled by Professor Vindictus Viridian. Please give all the teachers a round of applause, if you will."

The students respectfully obeyed. Lily saw Sirius lean over to James and heard him say, "Viridian for Dark Arts! Excellent! He's written some _amazing_ books about jinxes!"

"And now, dear friends," Dumbledore spoke again with a chuckle. "It is time to eat. To celebrate the superb talents of the Hogwarts kitchen, I have had the staff prepare a bevy of extra desserts for you. A little welcome gift from me to you. I hope that this year, while your teeth may rot, your brains will not! Tuck in!"

Another thunderous round of applause—or maybe just the sound of hundreds of stomachs rumbling. Lily gaped for about the six-hundredth time that evening as food appeared miraculously on the serving platters and plates in front of her. In the time it took her to marvel at all the food Sirius and James had snatched up most of it, but she managed to salvage a couple of chicken drumsticks, some mashed potatoes and gravy, a piece of lasagna, a goblet of pumpkin juice, and—of course—some of the dozens of desserts. If she got to eat like this every day all year long, perhaps she really did belong at Hogwarts!

All too soon the Feast was over, and though Lily felt as if she would need a crane to hoist her upstairs, she got up and followed the Gryffindor prefects through what seemed like miles and miles of staircases and corridors. Finally they arrived in front of a painting of a very fat lady in a pink dress. One of the Gryffindor prefects greeted the fat lady and said to her, "Mundi sapientum!" At the sound of this password the entire portrait swung forward, revealing a hole through which all the Gryffindors crawled.

There was no time to admire the plush common room, though it was very tempting with its warm, crackling fire and careworn sofas and armchairs... The prefects ushered the students to their respective dormitories and soon the common room was empty, its fire dwindling. Lily had barely enough energy to shake hands with the remaining Gryffindor girls—Marlene McKinnon and Gwendolyn Hightower—before she collapsed in her bed. She had only been at Hogwarts for a few hours, and yet she knew they were some of the best hours of her life. With this happiness still radiating in her head, Lily fell soundly asleep.


	6. Five: Introductions

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello! Time to meet our cast of characters, everybody! Beta shout-out: Heather and Nielawen! Enjoy!

**CHAPTER FIVE: Introductions**

Remus awoke for his first full day of Hogwarts fully clothed in his bed. He was only vaguely aware of how he had ended up there—his transformation, as always, was largely a blur. Colors, shapes, movements... and pain. But Professor Dumbledore's plan of the Whomping Willow tree and the abandoned house seemed to have gone off without a hitch. _Next time I'll just have to try and remember to change into my pajamas before I get into bed_, he thought. However, as he pushed his hands on the bed to sit up he noticed a new scar along his right forearm, peeking through the ripped sleeve of his shirt. _Great_, he thought with a grimace. That would be just one more thing to hide from his friends and fellow Gryffindors.

_Gryffindor_. He had arrived to Hogwarts hours before the Hogwarts Express, hours before the rest of the students—the _normal_ students. Best to get him hidden well in advance... But Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall had taken him aside yesterday to formally Sort him, and the ratty old hat had granted his wishes and placed him in Godric's House. The Headmaster had been especially pleased, giving an impromptu speech about the merits of the House and how Remus had indeed already shown enormous amounts of courage in his life thus far. And Remus had smiled and nodded—for who in his right mind would challenge the wizard that was making the rest of his life possible?

But in the few hours he had sat in the decrepit shack before he transformed he had taken a great deal of time to contemplate his situation. He was alone, completely alone, in a ragged old house, nothing to keep him company but a broken-down piano and the thought of a school just a few meters away and yet totally out of reach. He definitely didn't _feel_ courageous. Wouldn't courage be the ability to tell his friends, tell his enemies, tell the _world_ that he was a werewolf? Not hide behind walls and doors and tunnels? And lies? Wouldn't courage be the ability to shout from the rooftops that he was different but not necessarily dangerous? Wouldn't courage be the ability to _overcome_ this affliction?

No. It could not be overcome. There was no cure. And his parents (and Professor Dumbledore) were right: now was not the time to go public with his disease, if you could call it that. Later, they said; all will be revealed in due time. But did they have to look so grim when they said it?

"Remus!" came a voice from the bed next to him, shattering his reverie.

Remus felt his frown fade away at the sight of his friends. "James, Sirius," he said. "All right, then?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Bloody brilliant! Good to see you, mate!" said Sirius with a wide-eyed grin. "But where were you last night? When did you get in?"

It was time to start the charade.

"Oh," said Remus, directing his eyes toward the tops of his four-post bed. _The first lie_. "I just wasn't feeling well, and I didn't want to get the rest of you sick."

Sirius didn't say anything in response, just looked quizzically at him. James opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again. After a brief moment he said, "Well, it's good to see you better." And Sirius nodded in agreement, although Remus was _sure_ a look had passed between the two of them.

He swallowed. "Well, I should probably go find Lily and apologize for being gone. Is she in the girl's dormitory, do you know?"

Sirius let out a short laugh. "Yeah, she's probably in there, but whatever you do, _don't_ try to climb the girls' staircase." He pointed to a large bruise on the underside of his arm. "I made that mistake last night—you should have _seen_ McGonagall's face. She almost took a point away from Gryffindor for all the noise I caused, but I managed to talk her out of it." He looked quite pleased with himself.

"What happens when you try to climb the stairs?"

"Oh, nothing much, except the whole thing turns into a bloody stone slide and there are bells and whistles and you fall and whack yourself on the floor!" Sirius pretended to look upset, but Remus could tell that he was quite proud of his endeavor, and probably plotting ways to get around the security measures. "And you want to know the _worst_ part? The _girls_ can come into _our_ dormitory no problem! The one—Gwendolyn, I think—made quite a show of rubbing it in my face!" He grinned even wider.

James started to laugh. Remus just shook his head. "I guess they think you're just not trustworthy, Sirius. Although I can't _imagine_ what would make people think _that_!"

Their laughter was suddenly joined by a squeaky giggle from the other side of the room. Remus whipped his head around—he had completely forgotten there were two other boys in the room.

"Oh, that's right," said James, registering the look of surprise on Remus's face. "You haven't met the other two Gryffindors. This is Peter Pettigrew," he said, gesturing to the squeaky-laughed boy, who waved. "And that over there is Janus Killeffer—in a coma, the way he's sleeping." Remus waved to the snoring form, which did not, in fact, return the wave. "Peter, this is Remus Lupin," James finished the introductions.

"It's nice to meet you, Remus!" the round-faced boy said.

"You too, Peter. Sorry I wasn't here to meet you last night."

"Oh, that's not a problem at all!" Peter said, almost toppling over as he climbed out of bed. "Um, Sirius, James, do you all want to go down to breakfast? I think I'm going to go now."

"Why don't you go ahead, Peter? I want to relax for a few more minutes. We'll meet you down there, though, yeah?" Sirius said with a yawn.

"Sure, no problem. Remus, do you want to come now?"

Remus glanced over at James and Sirius, both of whom merely shrugged. "Yeah, sure, Peter. I'll bet Lily is already up, too, so we can meet her down there."

* * *

Lily had, in fact, already awoken. All five Gryffindor girls had been unquestionably too tired the night before and had decided to fully introduce themselves in the morning. Miraculously—as tends to happen at slumber parties—all five girls woke up within two minutes of each other the next morning. With nervous laughs and sleepy-eyed smiles they looked around the room.

"Well, if no one wants to start, I will," said the girl with the curly, dark blonde hair in the bed to Lily's right. "My name's Gwendolyn Hightower. Some people call me Gwen, but then again some people have a death wish," she said with a laugh. "I'm from Kent, I have two brothers named Arthur and Chadwick. And yes, my parents are crazy for giving us strange names, but that's that!" She threw her hands up in the air with a laugh of mock exasperation.

"Do your brothers go here?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. Well, one of them. Chadwick is a third year in Gryffindor and Arthur is three years younger, so—fingers crossed—he'll be here soon!"

The girl to the right of Gwendolyn spoke next. She was a somewhat short and stocky black girl with her hair in a million tiny braids, and Lily remembered her from the Sorting Ceremony the night before. "All right, then, I guess it's me next! I'm Artemia Goldsmith, umm... what else... I'm eleven, obviously, but I've got my birthday in a few weeks—the 30th. I've got a little sister named Antaria, and I think my parents beat yours, Gwendolyn, for the weirdest names!"

Gwendolyn smiled. "Is Antaria going to come to Hogwarts, too?"

Artemia shrugged. "We'll see, I guess. That's about it for me, though."

Lily noticed that Artemia's answer seemed a little tense, but she wasn't sure if anyone else picked up on it...

"Well, if we're going around the circle, then I guess I'm next!" said the girl next to Artemia. She wore glasses and had frizzy, kinky brown hair and a lopsided smile. "My name is Marlene McKinnon, and I guess some people call me Marly, but I like that just about as much as Gwendolyn likes Gwen, so there you go!" She let out a nervous laugh, and Lily smiled as she recalled this was the girl from the boats who didn't like caves. "I have a brother who's also a third year in Gryffindor, and—"

"Michael McKinnon? Is that your brother?" Gwendolyn asked with a sly grin.

"Yeah, do you know him?"

"I do! He and Chadwick are good friends—my parents had him 'round to dinner a few times over the summer, and—" She stopped, clearly on the verge of saying something else, bit her lip and smiled. Then she cupped her hand to her mouth and said in a loud whisper, "And he's _really_ cute!"

The non-McKinnon girls erupted into a fit of giggles. Marlene just nodded as if she'd heard it a million times before. "So I hear. He's really great, though. He's like my best friend."

"Oh, that's so sweet. I wish I could say that about my sister—she's dreadful," Lily said with a sad smile.

"Am I next?" said the petite blonde girl to Lily's left, looking up from fiddling with her fingernails and apparently deciding not to weigh in on Lily's dreadful sister. Lily wasn't surprised to see that the voice belonged to Diana Denham, the one that had ridden in the boat with her and James and Sirius—the one Lily was getting distinctly bad vibes from. "I guess I am," Diana continued with a laugh. "Well, my name is Diana Jacquelyn Denham, but you can call me Di—a lot of people do. I don't have any siblings, but I _am_ kind of a Metamorphmagus, which is good."

"What is that?" Lily asked, her curiosity overtaking her jealousy.

"Well, a full-blown one can change her appearance at will, like make her hair go crazy and pink and change her face and stuff if she wants. I haven't really developed the trait fully, but I think if I work on it I could be really good."

"What can you do with it now?" asked Gwendolyn, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

"Mainly change my hair color a bit. I've been able to turn it sort of dark brown and make it go all curly, but it kind of gives me a headache, so I don't do it that much." She let out another tinny laugh. "Anyway, you'll probably meet my owl sometime today—her name's Jacquelyn. And I guess that's all!"

The other girls smiled their welcomes at her and then turned their eyes to Lily. She stammered a little before starting. "Well, I, uh... I'm Lily Evans. Lily Violet Evans—my family has this thing about naming girls after flowers. Violet is my mum and my sister—"

"—The dreadful one?" Gwendolyn interrupted with a grin.

"Yeah, her," Lily grinned back. "Her name's Petunia. She really is a cow, but you can't change your blood! Oh, speaking of that, my parents are both Muggles and Petunia too, so I really don't know anything about being a witch, so if I'm kind of slow, forgive me!"

"Don't worry—I'm half-and-half. My mum's a Muggle," said Artemia. "So I'll probably be behind, too."

"My dad's not a wizard, either," said Diana.

"Are you two pureblood?" Lily asked Gwendolyn and Marlene, who both nodded. "That's cool. But you're not like pureblood wizard freaks, right?" she added with a nervous laugh.

Marlene shook her head vehemently as if the very suggestion troubled her deeply. Gwendolyn, on the other hand, paused. "Well, I really hate Muggle-borns and I think they're filth that shouldn't be allowed in the school."

A resounding silence followed. Even Diana stopped fiddling with her nails. Right when Lily was about to open her mouth to say something, Gwendolyn let out a huge bark of a laugh. "I'm _kidding_! I'm only kidding! I couldn't care less what's in your blood. No offense, of course."

Lily let out a huge sigh of relief and she ran her hand through her hair. "Wow, you really had me scared for a minute. Sirius and James—they're two Gryffindor boys in our year—were telling me about some really crazy pureblood maniacs, and well, I thought you might be one! I was so scared!" Her eyes widened.

"Oh God, no. I'm definitely not one!" Gwendolyn put her hand on her chest as if to swear under oath that she was _not _a pureblood wizard maniac. Then she cocked her head to one side and said, "Wait—Sirius. That's the boy that tried to come up to our dormitories last night, yeah?"

"Oh, that's _definitely_ Sirius," Lily said.

"Wicked! I love how we can go up there but they can't come up here. Bloody brilliant, the architects of this castle," Gwendolyn responded, shaking her head in wonder.

"Wait, tell us more about Sirius and James! How do you already know two of the Gryffindor boys?" Diana interjected, Lily's connections suddenly much more fascinating than her nail polish.

"Three, actually," Lily said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "There's a boy called Remus Lupin who wasn't at the Sorting last night, and I met them all at Diagon Alley a few weeks ago."

"Why wasn't he at the Sorting?" Marlene inquired, a look of horror on her face. "Can you do that? Can you _miss_ the Sorting?" She looked around, perhaps hoping Professor Dumbledore would pop in and assuage her fears.

"I guess so," Lily shrugged. "Come to think of it, I should probably go find him. Do any of you want to go to breakfast now?" Marlene, Artemia, and Gwendolyn nodded. "Diana?" Lily asked.

"Oh, you four should go on without me—I take a while to get ready."

"Are you sure? We can wait," said Gwendolyn at the precise moment that her stomach gave a huge rumble.

Diana smiled. "No, really, go ahead. I'm sure I'll see you down there in a bit."

"OK, then!" Lily shrugged, and the four girls hurried to get dressed and began to make their way through the labyrinthine passages of the castle and down to the Great Hall.

* * *

Lily and Remus found each other at breakfast in the Great Hall. Remus apologized again and again that he hadn't been on the Hogwarts Express, but Lily assured him that the trip wasn't bad at all. Marlene still was in fits about Remus missing the Sorting. "What happened? Was Professor Dumbledore upset? Did you get placed into a House?"

Remus smiled. "Hi, I'm Remus Lupin, by the way," he said as he extended his hand. Marlene blushed and shook it, but soon fixed her curious stare upon him once more—though the flush did not readily leave her cheeks. "And I just felt really sick a few days ago, so my parents sent an owl to Dumbledore and he took care of everything. Thankfully nothing bad happened, and best of all, I still get to be a Gryffindor!"

Marlene seemed to recover from her shock and accept that it was, indeed, _permissible_ to miss one's own Sorting. Lily smiled, but a little voice was knocking about in her head. _Something doesn't sound right_, she thought. _He felt really sick? But his note said..._

She wasn't able to answer her own inquiries, for the party of Gryffindors was at that moment joined by the rest of their fellow first years: James and Sirius, followed by Diana and another boy who looked like he hadn't completely woken up yet.

"Hello, chums!" said Sirius brightly as he hopped onto the bench. "I believe it's introduction time. My name is Sirius Bla—"

"Oh, we know who _you_ are," interrupted Gwendolyn. "Professor McGonagall kept muttering your name after you tried to come up to our dormitories last night. She said it was the fastest time _ever_ for a first-year to find out about—and _break­_—that rule!"

"Well done, Sirius!" said James. "Your first school record."

"First of many, I'd guess, though probably none I'll be able to write home about," Sirius said in response, smiling as he filled his goblet with orange juice. "All right then, _Gwendolyn_—yes, I know who you are, too—how about you finish the introductions for me? I've already met Diana, and Lily, of course."

"OK. This is Artemia... Goldsmith?" Gwendolyn said, gesturing to Artemia. "Yeah, Goldsmith. And this young lady right next to me is Marlene McKinnon."

"McKinnon?" said James, nearly choking on a bit of his scone. "Is your brother Michael McKinnon? The Gryffindor Seeker?"

Marlene nodded, and James continued. "He's _brilliant_! I was at the match against Hufflepuff last year with my Dad. He caught the Snitch in _ten minutes_. Ten minutes!"

"Well," said a voice over James' shoulder. "It helps that the Hufflepuff team is absolutely dreadful. Besides Bagman of course, but he didn't have much to Beat at in that match, did he now?"

Marlene beamed up at her brother Michael who was now introducing himself to James and Sirius. Lily felt Gwendolyn poke her and heard her whisper: "What did I tell you?"

Gwendolyn had been one hundred percent correct in her assessment of Michael. He was tall and trim and, in a word: "Dreamy!" Lily giggled back to Gwendolyn.

Michael had finished receiving James's praise and was about to leave when he caught sight of Gwendolyn. "Oh, hey Gwen!" he said, giving her a little wave before walking away.

"I thought you didn't let anyone call you Gwen!" said Lily, giving her a little nudge.

Gwendolyn just smiled into her porridge. "So anyway, to finish the introductions: Artemia Goldsmith, Marlene McKinnon, Lily Evans, Diana Denham, and I'm Gwendolyn Hightower."

"All right! Your brother plays Quidditch, too! Chadwick, right?" James asked, turning his head around, no doubt hoping to see Chadwick Hightower standing behind him as his friend had.

"Yeah, Chad. He's Chaser. Pretty good, I guess." Gwendolyn said with a shrug and a smile. "Don't get your knickers in a twist, though, he's all the way down at the end of the table."

Sirius laughed and clapped James on the back. "My friend, one day young Gryffindor first years will be twisting their knickers for _us_."

"So what are your names?" Marlene asked, trying to steer the conversation from what she feared was more dangerous knicker-twisting territory. But James wasn't quite finished with the Quidditch talk.

"Why not this year?" James asked, looking at Gwendolyn. "Now that we're friends and all, do you think Chadwick or Michael could set us up for a trial?"

Gwendolyn laughed. "Well, I can ask, I guess, but I think the team's pretty set. At least, that's what Chad was saying this summer."

"Oh, well, in that case..." James said morosely as he picked up his spoon and pointed at each Gryffindor boy: "Janus Killeffer, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter."

"Well, James Potter, you seem to have flung a bit of porridge onto your friends, there," said Gwendolyn, pointing at spots of brown goo on Peter's and Sirius's robes.

James blushed. Remus laughed. Peter giggled. And Sirius decided to eat his bit of porridge.

"Delicious," he said, bringing the robe up to his mouth and licking off the offending spot. "Thanks, mate. I was looking for something to finish off the breakfast."

Lily scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out. "I can't believe you ate that off your robe!"

"Where do you think my robe has been, the rubbish bin?" said Sirius. He picked up his spoon. "Really, Lily, you should try it. It's quite good." He aimed his spoon at Lily, who threw her hands over her face. As he flicked the spoon, however, he directed it toward Gwendolyn, and the glop landed splat on her sleeve. "_That_," he said with a wicked grin, "is for rubbing it in my face that I can't come up to your dormitories. _Yet_."

Gwendolyn raised her eyebrows in appreciation, licked the porridge off her robes, and nodded in approval. "Excellent," she said as she loaded up her spoon, preparing to fire a retaliatory shot.

Marlene looked around frantically. "Guys, can you please _not_ start a food fight on our first day of classes! Professor McGonagall is watching!"

The combatants both hesitated for a while before reluctantly lowering their spoons. Something about the Professor's look made them feel that perhaps today was not the best day for a porridge melee.

"So which tables are for which houses, do you think?" Lily asked, trying to break the short silence that ensued.

"Well, that lot over there is no doubt Slytherin," Sirius said, his prior joy rapidly escaping. "You can just _feel_ the evil coming from them, can't you?" When no one seemed to share his view, he continued. "Plus my cousins are over there, and everyone's favorite boat-stealer. What was his name? Snivellus?"

"Severus," said Janus, speaking for the first time and shocking the whole table. "Severus Snape. And they're not all bad, you know."

There was a long silence as everyone stole glances at Sirius and Janus. Marlene looked like she might faint from the tension.

"You're _friends_ with them?" asked Sirius, clearly straining to remain calm.

"Some of them, yes. Some of our families are in this Society together."

"Oh, we know about the Soci—" Lily started to say, but stopped short as James and Sirius both shot her looks.

"Right. Well, I think they're a bunch of slimy toads," Sirius said, sending one death glare to the Slytherins and another—though slightly less malevolent—to Janus.

"They're not all bad! Really, that's all I'm saying," Janus said, shifting uncomfortably under Sirius's stare. "Some of them are nightmares, yes. I mean, I don't like Severus Snape at all, but a few of the second-year boys are pretty nice. That's it."

Sirius apparently deemed this acceptable, for he relaxed his stare and his face broke into a grin. "That's fine, then. As long as you don't like Snivellus, bec—"

"Because he stole Lily's boat!" James finished triumphantly.

Janus smiled and Lily gave a little snort. "Thank you, James, for continuing to defend me against that _horrible_ event."

"No problem at all, Lily," he said, completely missing her sarcasm.

"So do we actually go to classes at this place?" asked Remus, successfully diverting the conversation to a less awkward plane.

"Yes," said Artemia as she pointed down the table. "It looks like Professor McGonagall is handing out schedules now."

Professor McGonagall soon reached their section of the table and gave them each a piece of parchment.

"Boys, tuck your shirts in, please. And fix your ties. We Gryffindors must look sharp, especially on the first day of classes!"

"Yes ma'am!" said Peter as he rushed to straighten his knot. McGonagall gave him an appreciative nod and moved down the table.

"Ugh," said Gwendolyn as she glanced at her schedule, ignoring Sirius as he mimicked Peter. "Potions first, right after breakfast. That won't be pleasant. Let's hope the professor doesn't make us use any fish eyes or newt's hearts in this morning's potion—I don't think my stomach can take it!"

"Fish eyes? Seriously?" Lily asked, disgusted—and slightly intrigued.

"Yeah, well if the potions we make here are like the potions my mum brews at home, _anything_ can be added. And I do mean _anything._"

Lily groaned. Although it would be kind of cool in a strange, disgusting, _squishy_ way to mash up a few fish eyes, she agreed with Gwendolyn, and wondered if she should have gone easy on the porridge at breakfast.

She was about to reach for another piece of toast when Marlene gave a shout and alerted them all to the fact that the Great Hall was starting to empty. Students were gradually rising from their seats, slinging their bags over their shoulders, and moving in the direction of the classrooms. She grabbed the toast anyway and stood up to follow her fellow Gryffindors off in the direction of the Potions dungeon for her first Hogwarts lesson...


	7. Six: Class Acts

**Author's Note:** Welcome to the gang's first day of school! I thought I'd give you a little glimpse into their classes, and a little deeper look at their personalities in action. Thanks, once again, to Heather and Nielawen!

**CHAPTER SIX: Class Acts**

They were having class in a dungeon... a _dungeon_! Lily had never been in a dungeon in her life. Of course, she had never really been in a castle either, besides a few touristy visits. Goosebumps erupted all over her arms as she walked through the stone archway that served as the door to the Potions classroom. The students' cauldrons had been deposited earlier—by whom, Lily did not know—and now stood simmering next to rows of tables. Lily shivered again as she realized she was about to do her first real magic! Well, Potions didn't require the use of her wand, but still...

As the ten Gryffindors took their seats (all ten Ravenclaw first years were already seated), Lily took notice of the large man at the head of the room. Professor Slughorn, as he introduced himself, was a rotund man who distinctly reminded Lily of a walrus. But he was nice enough, she thought. He spent a good ten minutes name-dropping, though, as if his students really _cared_ that by his help Chester Clevenger had quickly ascended the ranks of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.

But then began the discussion of actual Potions-related material, which was absolutely fascinating to Lily. She had occasionally tried to help her mother with the family's cooking (Violet Evans needed all the help she could get!), and was delighted to hear Professor Slughorn compare his classroom to a kitchen. "And if one of you could whip up a potion for some candied pineapples, well that would be mighty fine indeed," he said with a hearty wink.

He then proceeded to introduce some basic potion ingredients from their supplies, asking various questions about them. Lily was beyond ecstatic when her answer on the correct use of Bishop's Weed in Love Potions scored her five points for Gryffindor. Gwendolyn, who was sitting next to Lily, raised her eyebrows and looked at her, clearly impressed. Lily smiled and then whispered guiltily that her answer had been based on luck alone—the only potions she had happened to read about during the summer were Love Potions. This made Gwendolyn grin even wider.

But Lily's five points for Gryffindor were soon overshadowed by the tremendous effort of one Gaspard Shingleton, a Ravenclaw boy who had apparently memorized his copy of _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_. If the buttons on Professor Slughorn's waistcoat were about to burst already, Lily thought they would only last a few more seconds the way he kept puffing up his chest with pride at Gaspard's answers. After answering a few questions about animal ingredients in potions, Gaspard launched into a lecture on precisely how to use Mooncalf dung to its fullest extent in common fertilizer potions. Sirius, at a great contrast to the beaming Professor Slughorn however, merely groaned and whispered to James that he'd like to find a sample of Mooncalf Dung to demonstrate precisely how to use it to its fullest extent by chucking a bit at the back of Gaspard Shingleton's fat head.

Lily tried not to laugh as she copied down notes from Gaspard's monologue—after all, how would she feel if it was Sirius and James making fun of _her_? But as the blond boy launched into a flowery description of the exact silvery hue of the dung, Lily began to agree with them. As he rattled on about the Mooncalf's full moon dances, Lily glanced to Remus, sitting to her left, expecting him to be laughing along with his friends, but he had a rather pained expression on his face. Checking to make sure Professor Slughorn was still absorbed by Gaspard, she whispered to him: "Are you all right, Remus?"

It took him a moment to respond, and when he did he absentmindedly rubbed his right arm, and his eyes were strangely glazed over. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess. Still sick, maybe."

Lily nodded and was about to say more as Professor Slughorn spoke. "Well, Mr... Shingleton was it? That was _quite_ a recitation! Yes, quite good indeed. Keep that up, son, and perhaps it'll be you at the head of this class one day! Oho, yes indeed." He pulled out a gold pocket watch and gave a shout. "Well class, it seems that our first class has already ended. Pity we didn't get to brew anything today, but not to worry, not to worry. We'll be making some excellent potions soon enough." The class started to rise from their chairs when Slughorn opened his mouth again. "And for homework," he said to the general mumble and disgust of the class, "Please read the introduction to your textbooks and write a short essay—six inches or so—on your favorite weed and its uses in potion making. And congratulations to Mr. Shingleton and Miss Evans for their correct answers today!"

Lily blushed as she gathered her books up and filed out of the classroom. Her blush deepened as Gaspard sidled up next to her and stuck his hand out. "Gaspard Shingleton. Pleased to meet you."

"Lily Evans. You too," she said, shifting her books to grasp his hand.

"I see that you have a talent for Potions," he said, continuing to walk beside her.

Lily laughed, but stopped abruptly when she saw that Gaspard was serious. "Oh," she said, "I don't _think_ I do... I mean, I only answered one question! And that was just lucky."

"I see," he said. "Well anyway, you answered more questions right than _almost_ anyone else, so that's something!" He smiled and ran ahead to catch up with the group of Ravenclaws walking ahead of them.

"Lily," said Sirius, now walking beside her and thrusting out his hand. "Shaspard Gingleton. I see that you have a talent for Potions," he said, puffing out his chest and doing his best Shingleton impression. Before Lily could shush him, Sirius continued. "You may have noticed that I have a talent for collecting Mooncalf dung. It's just a gift, I suppose. Anyway..."

She interrupted him. "Sirius! He can hear you!" But she was laughing right along with the rest of the Gryffindors.

"What an idiot!" James said, joining Sirius. "'I see that you have a talent for Potions?' How can he see _that_?"

Apparently James was the only one who didn't realize how this comment sounded, as he balked at the stares on all the Gryffindors' faces. Eventually he realized his gaffe, however, and corrected himself. "Oh, come on. You know I didn't mean it like _that_. I meant how could he realize you have a talent for Potions—which I'm sure you _do_, of course—by you answering just one question!"

"It's OK, James, I know what you meant. And I agree. I just got lucky with that question, anyway. I didn't know the first thing about Mooncalf dung, or whatever he was rattling on about."

"Well, you certainly know about it _now_!" said Remus, sending Marlene into a fit of giggles.

"I just hope we don't have to _use_ any of Gaspard's favorite stuff anytime soon," Gwendolyn chimed in.

There was a chorus of agreement, and then Sirius and James started talking about their next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Viridian.

"He's wicked brilliant. His curses are amazing!" said Sirius, a look of pure joy on his face.

"Yeah, like, did you read about the Hair-Loss Curse in his newest book? I'm _dying_ to try it on someone!"

Lily's hand flew protectively to her head, as if James would just jinx her right there.

"Maybe he'll demonstrate some hexes today in class?" Peter suggested.

"Awesome!" James and Sirius said in unison.

"Probably not, though. I mean, I doubt we'll get to see anything practical since it's the first day of class," said Remus, a bit crestfallen.

"Yeah, but at least no Gaspard Shingleton in this class," said James.

"Just the Slytherins," Sirius countered, making James groan.

"Oh, that is _so_ much worse..."

And the rest of the Gryffindors listened as Sirius and James launched into another verbal attack on the detriments of Slytherin House, which lasted all the way until they reached the classroom.

* * *

Remus's guess that they wouldn't do anything practical on the first day was soon proven wrong. The Gryffindors had barely taken their seats when Professor Viridian appeared from a concealed door at the head of the class. He was tall and pale, with black hair and piercing blue eyes, and as he started speaking, Lily got goosebumps for the third time that morning. "I suspect many of you have at least heard of—if not read—some of my books," he said, twirling his wand between his fingers as he stood and surveyed the class. There was a general murmur indicating that yes, the students had read the books, and, in Sirius's case, had practically _memorized_ them. "Excellent," replied Viridian in a raspy whisper, and Lily was staunchly reminded of Count Dracula. "In that case," he continued, "would anyone care to demonstrate some of my hexes?"

There was another round of murmurs as classmates looked around the room. Did any of them dare to volunteer? Lily didn't have the first idea about how to do any of the spells, so her hands stayed firmly by her sides.

Sirius, on the other hand, couldn't have been more obvious if he had set his arm on fire. His hand shot up as soon as the words were out of Viridian's mouth.

"Excellent," said the professor again. "And your name?"

"Black, sir. Sirius Black."

"Excellent, Mr. Black. Please step to the front of the room."

Sirius hopped off his chair and practically ran to the front. Lily glanced to her left and saw James give Sirius a brief thumbs up. "Should I just cast the spell, Professor?" Sirius asked.

"Oh no, Mr. Black. You need a target, of course."

"Right, of course! Er, should I aim it at the wall, then?" Sirius looked confused. Surely, _surely_ he wouldn't be casting spells on fellow students on the first day of class!

"I believe Mr. Black needs an assistant, class. Are there any volunteers?"

The class looked just as confused as Sirius. Surely, _surely_ they wouldn't be hexed on the first day of class!

After a few moments of silence, however, one boy seated near the front of the room raised his hand. Lily couldn't see his face from her seat, but she had an inkling who it was. Professor Viridian confirmed her fears almost immediately. "Ah yes, Mr. Snape. Thank you for volunteering."

"How does the professor already know Snape's name?" James asked Remus in a harsh whisper. Remus just shrugged. "Oh well," James continued, his eyes narrowed. "Sirius will tear him to shreds. Just you wait." James had a strange look of anticipation etched on his face. Remus and Peter also looked excited. Janus wasn't really paying attention—it seemed to Lily that he was trying valiantly just to stay awake. To her right, however, the Gryffindor girls were looking worried. At least Marlene and Diana were. Artemia seemed to be in the same vein as Janus with her head propped up on her hand. Gwendolyn, sitting next to Lily, leaned over and whispered, "I thought this was supposed to be Defense _Against_ the Dark Arts!"

Lily nodded. "I know! I can't believe this is happening on the first day!"

"Wicked, isn't it?" Gwendolyn looked almost as excited as James.

Though she didn't quite agree, Lily just nodded again as Sirius and Severus looked ready to start. Well, Severus looked ready. Sirius did look determined, but turned again to Professor Viridian. "I just send the hex at him?" As the professor merely nodded, Sirius grinned and squared himself against Severus. "All right, then!" He opened his mouth to say the hex, but before the word was formed, Severus pulled out his wand, aimed it straight at Sirius, and shouted something—Lily wasn't quite sure what he said.

Sirius stumbled backward and hit the wall. He stood there, gasping for breath, and raised his wand with a shaky hand. No words came out of his mouth, however, and it looked like he was having serious difficulty breathing.

Lily glanced at Professor Viridian, but he was still just nodding his head as if calmly appraising the situation. She looked to the other side of the classroom. Most of the Slytherins were laughing or cheering. She glanced to Remus. "Should we do something?" she asked frantically.

"I don't know!" he said, looking to James.

James, however, knew exactly what to do. He stood up, knocking his chair over in the process, and aimed his wand directly at Snape who was now looking quite smug. "_Lacrimate_!" James shouted. In an instant Snape had doubled over, and appeared to be sobbing. Tears were streaming down his face, and he, like Sirius, was struggling for air.

Sirius, however, had finally gotten a good lungful. He pushed himself off the wall, directed another curse at the weeping Snape, and fell back onto the wall for support. For a second, Lily was sure the curse had missed, as nothing happened. But then a large chunk of Snape's long, black hair fell off his head and to the floor. He looked up through his tears, positively livid, and raised his wand. But he couldn't seem to decide which boy to hex first, James or Sirius.

"Why doesn't the professor _do_ anything!" Marlene cried, her hands on her face.

Perhaps Professor Viridian sensed the tension though, for he stepped forward and gave his wand a little flick. Sirius stood up of his own accord and Severus stopped crying, though there was still a good chunk of his hair missing.

Remus and Lily looked at each other, both worried. "That wasn't supposed to happen, was it?" asked Remus.

James answered, looking almost as livid as Snape. "No. That slimy git hexed Sirius—caught him off guard. Slimy, slimy little b—"

But before James could finish his thought, Professor Viridian began speaking. "Excellent, students, excellent."

"_Excellent_?" someone to Lily's right muttered.

"A wonderful display of three of my favorite curses." Viridian brought his large, pale hands together in a slow clap. The rest of the students looked around anxiously before eventually clapping as well, though their applause was less than enthusiastic. "Mr. Snape, tell the class which hex you used."

"The Ton-of-Bricks Hex, Professor," he said through gritted teeth.

"Exactly. And what does that curse do, Mr. Black?"

"Well, it seems to cause the recipient—that is, _me_—to feel like he's been hit with a ton of bricks, sir," he said, shooting a murderous glance at Snape.

"Aptly named, is it not, Mr. Black?"

"Very, Professor."

"And Mr. Potter, what spell did you use in defense of your comrade Mr. Black?"

James, still standing, answered. "I used _Lacrimate_, sir. The Crying Curse."

"Yes, and it was very well-applied. Many people do not see the purpose of this curse, and indeed, it seems trivial upon first thought. And yet, as Mr. Potter has just showed us, when applied with the right amount of force, it is quite powerful, is it not, Mr. Snape?"

Snape just sneered.

"Finally, Mr. Black applied one of my newest creations, the Hair-Loss Curse. The results are obvious, as I'm sure you all can see." He gestured to the lock of hair on the ground at Snape's feet. "Thank you very much for being guinea pigs today, Mr. Black and Mr. Snape. And thank you for demonstrating the noble thing to do, Mr. Potter. Please take your seats now, and will the rest of the class open to page ten of your textbooks?"

As the class shuffled through their bags to bring out their books, Sirius returned to the table, rubbing his chest a bit. "I hate to say it, but that's a _good_ hex he hit me with," he said with a smile. "Not bad for the first day of class, eh?"

The boys laughed, clearly relieved that Sirius wasn't still angry. Lily was relieved, too, although for the rest of the class, she couldn't help but notice the lethal looks Sirius kept shooting at the Slytherins.

* * *

After lunch the Gryffindors headed to their lesson with Professor McGonagall: Transfiguration. Here, Lily learned that a Transfiguration Master was, in fact, _not_ an action figure, but rather a very strict witch.

Professor McGonagall gave the class a brief lecture on the merits and importance of Transfiguration, a warning on the consequences of misbehavior in her classroom, and rounded the speech off with an explanation of their first activity: turning matchsticks into needles.

As soon as she had distributed all the matchsticks, Professor McGonagall demonstrated the incantation and wand movement, and within a heartbeat her match turned into a shiny silver needle.

Lily looked down at her own match lying perfectly still on the table. She had absolutely no idea where to begin. It didn't seem _possible_ to change it into a needle. It was a matchstick! She inclined her head and looked around surreptitiously. Her classmates were all muttering their incantations and waving their wands, but Lily couldn't even remember what Professor McGonagall had said to do. Finally, after a few minutes of feeling utterly hopeless and after a quick consultation with Remus, she pointed her wand at the matchstick and muttered the spell.

After she recited the incantation, Lily was elated, for she saw something shoot out the tip of her wand. This elation was short-lived, however, as her match ignited, leaving a black soot mark on her desk. She looked around, hoping nobody had seen her faux-pas but, of course, everyone had. Blushing, she raised her hand. "Um, Professor McGonagall? Can I have a new matchstick, please?"

The omnipresent wrinkles on Professor McGonagall's forehead shifted into an even deeper frown as she placed a replacement matchstick in front of Lily. As soon as the professor had turned back to check on the other students' progress, Lily heard James give a little laugh. She looked over to the table he was sharing with Sirius just in time to see the latter pull a shiny, silver needle—the exact silver needle she was hopelessly striving to produce—from his pocket.

"My cousin Andromeda told me this is what McGonagall always has students do on the first day. I thought I'd give it a spin, see if she buys it," he whispered conspiratorially to James, placing the unneeded match in his pocket. "Professor!" he said, this time much louder and with much more flair. "Professor McGonagall, ma'am! I think I've done it!"

Professor McGonagall turned around slowly, her face the definition of skepticism. She walked toward Sirius and James's table, each step deliberate, each glare piercing. Lily would have cracked under such a stern gaze, but Sirius kept his smile plastered on. After what seemed like hours, the Professor reached the table and bent low, her spectacles sliding down the tip of her nose as she examined the needle.

Like a drill sergeant inspecting his troops, Professor McGonagall inspected the needle from all angles. She picked it up, held it to the light, rolled it around in her fingers... _Finally_, she spoke. "Well, Mr. Black, it seems that you've done it." She placed the needle back on the table as Sirius flashed a huge smile around the classroom. To his right, James was trying _very_ hard to bottle up his laughter. "However," Professor McGonagall said, turning her sharp gaze from the needle to Sirius's face, "There is just one more test I must do, just to make sure, Mr. Black."

Sirius's grin faltered for a moment, and Lily thought she saw a look of panic pass across his eyes, but within an instant he was smiling again. "Sure, Professor. Do whatever you need to do."

"Thank you, Mr. Black," said McGonagall, her eyes little more than slits. She pulled her own wand from her sleeve and tapped it at the needle. Of course nothing happened. Sirius's grin was now in severe danger of disappearing completely. "Just as I thought, Mr. Black. This needle was never a matchstick. Three points from Gryffindor for your cheek."

Sirius was gaping in disbelief. "Oh, come on, Professor! It was a joke!"

"Yes, and I admire your pluck, Mr. Black, but my decision is final!" But as she turned around, Lily saw that the corners of her mouth were twitching, and she broke into a slight, pinched smile as she shook her head.

And though Sirius and James both came close, no one truly Transfigured the matchstick that day.

* * *

The rest of the week rushed by. On Tuesday morning they had the exciting combination of Professor Flitwick and Charms, followed by the less-than-stimulating History of Magic. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs had Herbology together in the greenhouses outside, and Professor Sprout was delighted that no one was attacked by the Venomous Tentacula on the first day.

Wednesday night at midnight they climbed to the top of the tallest tower for Astronomy lessons, and Lily went slightly cross-eyed by looking through the telescopes for so long.

By the end of the week Lily felt like she had a pretty solid idea of how the year was going to go, though she was dismayed at the amount of homework the teachers had already piled on.

"Well, I guess we can't learn it without practice, right?" she said one night as she and Gwendolyn worked on Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Yeah, but I'm just not seeing how _writing _about these hexes is going to make us be able to _use_ them, you know?" Gwendolyn responded, flipping through her copy of one of Viridian's books.

"Good point. Hopefully we won't have to use the jinxes, though!" Lily said. Though if one was to be so often in the company of Sirius and James it was best to keep oneself armed!

Sirius and James had already begun to establish themselves as troublemakers. One of them nearly always volunteered to perform the hexes in Professor Viridian's class, with Severus Snape nearly always on the other side. And Lily swore that Professor McGonagall still swept over Sirius with a scrutinizing look every time he entered the Transfiguration classroom.

But all in all they were fun to be around, and pretty handy when she needed help with some of the more complicated Transfigurations. In fact, Lily was building herself quite the little support network.

Gaspard Shingleton had taken to sitting next to Lily in Potions, which was fine. He _was_ very good, if a bit pompous.

Madam Pince, the school's authoritarian librarian, had taken a strange liking to Marlene McKinnon, so Marlene and Lily could almost always work there undisturbed.

Gwendolyn, it turned out, actually _enjoyed_ History of Magic, so she was always a font of information on whatever goblin rebellion they happened to be studying. Lily couldn't quite get over the fact that their teacher was a ghost.

And Remus had a strange affinity for Astronomy, and could go on for hours about the movement of planets and stars.

Such was Lily's life in the first few months at Hogwarts. She was happy. Her anxieties were kept almost always at bay, she had good friends and good fun, not to mention good food, and best of all she was constantly in awe at the wonders of magic and all that it could do...


	8. Seven: Snapshots of a Year

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello dear readers! This chapter is bit unique. Instead of dragging out individual scenes long enough to make full chapters (and thus making the story hundreds of chapters long!), I've decided to give you just an overall picture of the school year. Hence the title "Snapshots." The dates aren't always significant; they're just there as kind of a guide so you can see how the year is progressing. There will be a "snapshots" chapter in every year that the students are at Hogwarts, so I hope you enjoy! Thanks, as always, to betas Heather and Nielawen! 

**CHAPTER SEVEN: Snapshots of a Year**

**November 15th, 1971**

"_However, before the negotiations could really get underway, the organizers were forced to suspend the delegation for two months while Ulfir the Usurper 'dealt' with a troublesome clan near his home town of_—" Lily jumped as the tip of her quill snapped, forcing her to stop writing mid-sentence. She, along with a number of the other Gryffindor first-years, was sitting in the Common Room, her head bent over a particularly difficult—that is to say _tedious_—essay for History of Magic.

"OK, we've been here for two and a half months, and I _still_ have not gotten the hang of these quills! Why can't we write with ballpoint pens? I mean _honestly_, this is probably the fourteenth one I've broken!" she exclaimed, tossing aside yet another quill.

"You know what I think?" said Sirius, looking up from his parchment. "I think the quills are breaking themselves to get us to stop writing this horrific essay."

"Well said," Remus agreed. "'An account of the delegations of the Inter-Goblin Round Table of 1284'? Who in their right mind wants to read about that, much less _write_ about it!"

"Oh come on, History of Magic isn't _that_ bad. Some of these goblins were pretty wicked!" said Gwendolyn, whose essay was significantly longer than everyone else's.

"Gwendolyn, just because you possess some unknown strength that allows you to actually stay awake in Binns's class doesn't mean you need to rub it in our faces," Sirius retorted, tossing his now crumpled essay in her general direction.

It hit her square in the face. "OK, fine. How about this: I'll agree to look over your essay if you give me some help in Potions."

"Ooh, I'll do it!" Lily said. Potions had quickly become one of her favorite subjects, and Professor Slughorn's most recent essay topic—describing the various uses of Amaranthus petals in Health Potions—had been quite easy. Unlike her current essay. No matter how hard she tried or how many quills she went through, she could not form a coherent sentence about Orjifus the Fustigator.

"Who's going to help me with _my_ essay, then?" Sirius groaned. "Remus?" he asked hopefully.

"No can do, Sirius. Not unless you want it to sound like a four-year-old's dribble."

"Well, that would probably be better than what I've got now." He paused, then smiled and turned his eyes again on Gwendolyn, fiercely batting his lashes. "Gwendolyn? Gwennie? _Please_?"

"Oh _fine_, Sirius, I'll look over your essay, too, but only if you promise never to call me Gwennie again. _And_ if you let me see your Transfiguration notes."

"You can see my notes as soon as I've seen James's. Eh, Potter?" He turned his head to the other side now, where James was also absorbed in his History essay. Or, as absorbed as one can be with Goblin affairs.

"I'm letting Peter borrow them right now, but you can copy them when he's done," he said, making a vague gesture in Peter's direction.

"Honestly, does _no one_ do their own work around here?" asked Marlene, stacks of books piled up almost to her chin.

"Doesn't appear that way!" Sirius said brightly, reaching over to grab the Transfiguration notes from Peter's lap. Peter squeaked in protest, but decided to keep quiet after Sirius aimed another wad of parchment at him.

Marlene just shook her head and buried herself—quite literally—in books again.

Lily smiled and bent back over her essay, fresh quill in hand: _"a troublesome clan near his home town of Skrunda..._"

* * *

**December 17th, 1971**

"Hey, did you all read the _Daily Prophet_ today?" Lily asked one morning at breakfast. She was staring avidly at a copy of the paper.

"Yeah, what about it?" Sirius asked, not bothering to look up from his bacon.

Remus leaned over Lily's shoulder and glanced at what she was reading. She continued, "A Ministry employee went crazy and murdered three Muggles in the name of... Hold on, let me get this right..." she propped the paper up on a water jug. "In the name of Lord Voldemort. Who is that, and why is he asking people to kill for him?"

"Probably just some nutter that couldn't handle the stress of a Ministry job," James said with a shrug.

Lily was ready to agree when Remus noticed something. "Lily, you're a day behind. This is yesterday's paper."

She checked the date. "What's the date today, then?"

"Well, Lily, I'm no genius, but you might just want to add one to the date at the top of that paper, no?" Sirius said with a wicked grin.

"You're right: you aren't a genius," she shot back.

"December 17th." Remus rolled his eyes. "Here's _today's_ copy," he said, tossing it to her.

"Thanks." She was silent for a while as she skimmed the front page. "Look!" she exclaimed. "The man was found dead in his cell in Azkaban this morning!"

No on said anything, which was not quite the reaction she was expecting. "Doesn't that seem a little fishy?"

Again, nothing. Lily turned to Gwendolyn. "Not strange at all?"

"Lily, have you read anything about Azkaban? It's wicked scary," Gwendolyn replied through a mouth full of cornflakes. "If—Heaven forbid—_I_ ever ended up there, I'd probably die in about five minutes!"

But Lily wasn't satisfied. She turned to her other side. "Remus?" she asked.

"I guess it's a little strange, that he ended up dead the very next day..." he said hesitantly. "But I think I'm with Gwendolyn on this one. He probably just died of shock."

Lily shrugged and returned to her breakfast. But something really didn't seem right. This 'Lord Voldemort' character... She silently vowed to keep an eye out for more news of him.

"Anything else newsworthy?" Remus asked.

She continued to peruse the newspaper. "Nothing, really. Oh, the Montrose Magpies got a new Seeker, but—"

"Seriously? Is it Tom Hawkins?" James was now rapt with attention. He turned to Sirius. "You remember they were thinking about signing him?"

Sirius nodded vehemently. "Yeah, Lily, who is it?"

"Some guy named Nathaniel Sutton," she answered.

"Sutton? Are you serious? Can I see that?" James asked, gesturing toward the paper, which Lily handed to him.

Soon James and Sirius were deep in discussions about the Magpies, with occasional comments from Peter, Remus, and Gwendolyn. Any thoughts about the dead "nutter" from the Ministry had been forgotten by all except Lily.

* * *

**February 22nd, 1972 **

"Does anyone know where Remus is?" Lily asked as she emerged from the spiral staircase of the girl's dormitory.

"I thought he was with you," Sirius said, deigning to look up from his copy of _Quidditch Preview 1972_.

"Sirius, I just came from the girl's dormitory. How could he have been with me?"

"I was just making sure no one had figured out how to get up there yet," he said with a wry smile.

Lily just shook her head. "James, do _you_ know where he is? I haven't seen him since Herbology this afternoon. Is his mum sick again?"

"I don't know, but I don't think so. He hasn't said anything about her since he got back from visiting her last month, so I just assumed she was better," James answered. "He was around this afternoon, but he looked a bit under the weather. Maybe he's in the hospital wing?" He gave a little shrug.

"Do you think we should go check?" asked Peter, his voice full of concern. "I mean, we could just run up to the Hospital Wing and see. He _did_ look kind of queasy during Herbology."

"I think we _all_ were a bit queasy after those Pustulant Puffer Plants, Pete," Sirius said, his face twisted into a grimace.

"I think we should go check," Lily said, forcing herself not to think of the plants, which had indeed been disgusting. "This isn't the first time he's been in the Hospital Wing this year—it could be something serious! Do you two want to come?"

"Look, and I don't mean to sound, well, _mean_, but I don't think you guys should go. I tried to go visit Michael McKinnon after the Quidditch match last week, and Madam Pomfrey wouldn't even let me in!" James said, putting down _his_ copy of _Quidditch Preview 1972_.

Lily was about to say something, but Sirius spoke before she could. "Wait. You visited Michael McKinnon in the _Hospital Wing_? Are you serious?"

"No, I _tried_ to visit Michael McKinnon in the Hospital Wing, don't you listen?" James said defensively, though Lily noticed a slight flush creep up his cheeks.

Sirius was laughing. "Why did you want to visit him?"

"I just wanted to talk to him about the match! He was brilliant until he got hit by that Bludger!"

"Oh, _sure_. You just wanted to talk about the match. James, you should cozy up to Marlene; maybe she'll take you home over the summer and you and Michael can talk about Quidditch all day long..."

"Stuff it, Sirius," James said, tossing a cushion at his friend. But his blush was gone and he was grinning widely. "We'll see who's laughing when I get on the team next year!"

Sirius shrugged. "Fair enough, mate."

"Anyway, Lily," James said, turning his attention back to her. "It's just not worth it. If he's not back tomorrow morning, I'll go check on him with you, but Madam Pomfrey really does not let _anyone_ into the ward."

"Why were you looking for him, anyway?" asked Sirius.

Lily shifted and looked down at the floor. "Oh, I just wanted to talk to him."

Sirius stared at her blankly, as if the idea of wanting to talk to someone for no particular reason was completely foreign.

She registered this confusion and quickly added, "And I need help with my Herbology homework."

"I can help you with that, Lily!" Peter said excitedly beside her. "I've already finished it."

"There you go, Lily," Sirius said gaily. "Don't need Remus at all! You've got Peter right here." He gestured with his magazine at Peter, who was now beaming.

"Oh thanks, Peter, that'd be really great..." Lily said, albeit somewhat hesitantly. Thankfully, no one perceived this hesitation. "I'll just go up to my dormitory and get my books."

Peter nodded. "I'll be right here!"

She started to climb the stairs she had just descended, casting a look back at the Common Room, as if hoping to see Remus suddenly walk through the portrait hole. When, of course, he didn't, she gave a little sigh and proceeded to her room. She would certainly not be able to "just talk" with either Sirius, James, or Peter, so she might as well get some work done. She reached the dormitory, grabbed her Herbology homework, and headed back into the Common Room, feeling strangely alone.

* * *

**April 19th, 1972**

It was a blustery April afternoon and Remus was sitting in a quiet corner of the Gryffindor Common Room. The room was alive with the hustle and bustle of a Sunday afternoon: students getting ready for classes the next day, or discussing the Quidditch match the previous day, or just generally lounging about.

Remus happened to be putting the finishing touches on a Transfiguration essay. Sirius and James, of course, had finished it hours ago. They had quickly emerged as the best students in the class, despite Professor McGonagall's continued suspicion of Sirius after the "needle incident" on the first day. Remus wasn't quite sure what they were up to at the moment—probably wandering around the castle, as they had taken a liking to. They claimed to have found a genuine secret passage, and all Remus really wanted to do was put down his essay and go join them. But the last paragraph was giving him real trouble. _It's ironic_, he thought, _that I go through so much _actual_ transfiguration myself and still struggle in the class..._

Thinking about this made him grimace. The next full moon was just two days away, and already he was starting to feel nauseous. This would be his ninth transformation at Hogwarts, and he had _no_ idea how he had been able to hide it thus far. Oh sure, he had come up with acceptable lies: I don't feel well. I sprained my ankle. My Mum is sick. My Great-Aunt died... But it still felt so wrong, lying to his best friends like that. He felt deceitful, even. And though he was told time and time again by his parents and superiors _not_ to let anyone in on the secret, he was always worried that he might slip up.

His friends were really great, though, and if they _had_ noticed anything, they had kept their mouths shut. And sure, he had noticed a few looks that had passed between Sirius and James, but so far he was pretty sure they didn't suspect anything. But he wasn't sure just how long he could keep up the lies.

He was lucky. He really was. There were times when he felt he didn't deserve such a pair of friends as he had found in Sirius and James. And Peter, too, though he was more reserved than the two boisterous ones. And Lily, of course, who was always good to talk to, and a welcome change from the boys.

As he was ruminating on said friends, one of them walked down the stairs into the Common Room, carrying what looked to be a record player.

"Hey, Lily," he said, crossing the room to help her with the cumbersome item. "What are you doing lugging around this thing? You know it won't work here, right? All the magic makes it go haywire."

"Yeah," she said, grinning. "That's what I thought when I first tried it on the second day of school. It kept shooting out sparks in my trunk, and obviously there was no place to plug it in."

"So you're going to throw it away?" he asked, confused at why she was beaming.

"No! I think I've found a way to make it work."

"But there isn't any electricity in the castle. It's not possible."

"Yes, but I just need the record to spin around, right? And then it'll play!"

Remus wrinkled his nose and stared cautiously at the record player. "I'm not sure, Lily. I think it might take more than spinning."

"Well, we'll try anyway. Maybe if I put enough magical force into it something will happen!"

He smiled, encouraged by her enthusiasm, but he was still skeptical.

She pulled over a small table, set the record player on top of it, and pulled out the record she had carried down with her. It was by The Beatles, Remus noticed. "You like The Beatles?" he asked as Lily placed the record on the spindle and raised her wand arm.

"I _love_ The Beatles," she replied, narrowing her eyes to focus on the record player. "Don't you? Doesn't everybody?" She cast him a quick glance and smile.

He grinned. "Yeah, my Dad has most of their albums, and we used to listen to them all the time when I was little. Until they broke up, of course."

"Saddest day of my life!" she exclaimed, still holding her wand high in the air.

Remus just laughed, as he wasn't sure if she was kidding. He cleared his throat. "So, umm, what spell exactly are you going to try?"

"Well, I stayed after Charms the other day—the lesson where Professor Flitwick talked about Motion Charms, you know? And he said there was a Revolving Charm that we'd be learning soon, but he showed me how to do it already. I wanted to try the Revolving Charm on the "Revolver" album, because that would just be so cool, but I think I left it at home. So this will have to do!"

She brought her arm down in a strange sort of circular motion and tapped the edge of the record player. For a split second, it looked like nothing would happen, but then the record actually began to spin. Lily was elated as faint strains of a song poured forth. She clapped her hands together and bounced up and down.

"What song is this?" Remus asked over Lily's singing.

"'Any Time At All,'" she sang, in tune with the chorus.

Remus listened to the lyrics for a minute. "I can't believe it's working!" he said. But he spoke too soon. Right after the words had left his mouth, John and Paul's voices got a bit higher. And then a bit higher still. Soon "Any Time At All" sounded as if it was being performed by chipmunks. Lily's euphoria quickly turned to dismay as she looked at the record now spinning out of control and actually emitting smoke. "Oh no!" she cried. "He didn't teach me the counter-Charm!"

Remus laughed, but it didn't seem like Lily was going to join in. "Look," he said, patting her on the arm, "We'll just wait until it spins itself out. I'm sure it will be fine!"

Sure enough, the record eventually slowed down, and with a horrible screeching noise it came to a halt. Lily heaved a sigh and turned her face to Remus. "Well, it was worth a shot, right?"

He smiled. "Absolutely. I'm sure you'll figure out how to work it better in no time."

"I hope so. I can't live without this music!" She gathered the record player into her arms. "Ooh, it's still a bit hot," she said as she headed back toward the spiral staircase. "Well, I guess I'd better go finish that Transfiguration essay. It's a monster!"

"Yeah, thankfully I'm almost finished with mine," Remus said, gesturing to his essay.

"OK, well I'll probably see you for dinner later. Good luck!"

"You too," he called as she climbed the stairs and disappeared into the dormitory, just as Sirius and James bounded back into the Common Room.

"Remus!" James called, his face flushed. "Are you done yet? You _have_ to come see what we've found!"

Yes, he was very lucky...


	9. Eight: Found and Farewell

**Author's Note:**Hello, hello, dear readers! I'm sorry that there has been a bit of a delay between this chapter and the last; school just started up again for me, so my life has been all kinds of hectic. But here is Chapter Eight, all ready for you, wherein our favorite Hogwarts students finish their first year! Please let me know what you think; I love feedback of all sorts (don't we all?). Again, huge thanks to my loyal betas, Heather and Nielawen. Happy reading!

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Found and Farewell**

"Come on! We've got to add it to the list!" James yelled as he rounded a corner, sprinted pell-mell to the Gryffindor Common Room, and slid a bit on the slick stone of the passage. Sirius gave a shout and tore after him, with Remus and Peter hot on his heels.

"Wait, why are we running?" shouted Remus, though he didn't slow down.

"I don't know!" yelled James gleefully, increasing the pace. Remus could have sworn he saw James give a little skip, but he just shook his head and continued following the boys, their footsteps echoing in the near-deserted corridor.

Moments later they tumbled through the portrait hole, heaving and gasping for breath as if they'd each just been hit by the Ton-of-Bricks Hex. Everyone in the Common Room abandoned his or her work to glare at the boys, and Remus gave a sheepish wave before they moved over to their usual corner.

"Do you have The List?" Sirius whispered, still slightly out of breath, to James, who was now rifling through the schoolbooks he had left on a chair.

"Of course I have it! Somewhere..."

"You know, James, if you keep losing it, we're going to have to let Remus hold on to it!" Sirius said in a tone of mock irritation, his hands on his hips, his foot tapping impatiently.

"Stuff it, Sirius, I have it!" James emerged from his pile of books with a wrinkled, folded piece of parchment. The List.

Remus smiled as Sirius unfolded the paper. The List was a short—but growing!—record of all the secret passageways or tunnels or rooms the boys had found. So far it consisted mainly of shortcuts: the best way to get to the Astronomy Tower, the fastest way to get to the Gryffindor Common Room from the Dungeons, things like that. But today, almost at the end of their first year at school, James and Sirius reckoned they had found their first genuine secret passage. Remus was a bit more skeptical, but he was still anxious to add it to The List.

It had been Peter who had found the passage, albeit somewhat inadvertently. All four were taking a procrastination stroll—end-of-term exams were upon them, but no one wanted to study. They were walking down an empty corridor on the seventh floor, practicing hexes on each other ("See? We're studying for Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Sirius said), when James hit Peter with a particularly strong Jelly-Legs Jinx, causing him to stumble backwards. As he fell, he crashed into a suit of armor, catching its arm and yanking it down. The tapestry next to the suit of armor had then suddenly rolled up as if it were a curtain, revealing a small wooden door.

Sirius was the first to go through, and he did so with boundless enthusiasm, forgetting to light his wand tip, and thus tripping up a set of stairs as soon as he crossed the threshold. James, as soon as he had finished laughing, pulled his best friend up from the ground while Remus raised his own lit wand up high over his head, casting a dim glow up the short stone steps. Peter eventually untangled himself from the suit of armor and let out a little gasp when he saw the stairway. "Where do you think it goes?" he asked, turning his round face up toward Sirius.

"We're about to find out!" Sirius said, grabbing Peter's arm and running with him up the steps. James flashed Remus an excited look and lit his own wand, and the two boys followed their friends. At the top of the stairs was another little door, and Sirius put his hand on the large brass doorknob. "Ready?" he asked, his face flushed with excitement. The rest of the boys nodded eagerly, each ready to see what adventure awaited them behind the door. Sirius pushed and the door slowly opened, creaking with years of disuse.

A shaft of light illuminated the dark stairway, and the boys squinted as they stepped into the room. It seemed they had found an abandoned greenhouse of some sort, as there was no ceiling, only greenish-yellow panels of glass that let in the pale light of the June evening. The ground was covered in a thick layer of something that seemed to be half dust, half potting soil, and the air had a heavy, musty scent. Pots and troughs were scattered around the room, most of them overflowing with brown and brittle weeds, and the shelves were stacked with rusted spades, discarded gloves, and empty watering cans. Ten metal stools were lined up around a large wooden table in the middle of the room, and a very bedraggled copy of _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ lay in the center.

"Cool!" exclaimed Sirius as he looked around the room. "A secret greenhouse!"

Remus laughed. "That's ridiculous. A secret greenhouse?"

"Well yeah! What else could it be?"

"I don't know, an abandoned classroom, maybe?" He grinned as Sirius's face fell.

"Yeah, that does make more sense," Sirius conceded with a shrug.

"But hey, it's our first secret passage!" James said, moving over to examine some of the pots full of the brittle remnants of weeds.

"Right you are!" said Sirius, peering into a bag of dragon dung fertilizer. "Ooh, still ripe," he said, wrinkling his face in disgust.

"I don't know about that," Remus said, looking at Sirius.

"Mate, trust me: this dung is still good." He folded the top of the bag down and moved away.

"No, I'll take your word on _that,_ Sirius, but I don't know if this counts as a secret passage, you know? I mean, people probably had Herbology lessons here all the time a few years ago, so..." He trailed off, giving a little shrug.

"Oh, come on, Remus! It counts!" Sirius whined, looking to James and Peter for support. The two boys nodded their heads. "Besides, it's clearly been deserted for a long time, right? And no students in the school right _now_ know about it, yeah?"

Remus cocked his head to one side and thought about it. "OK, that's good enough for me. Our first secret passage it is!"

Sirius grinned. "Wicked!"

A silence filled the room as the boys continued to take in their surroundings. Remus felt a strange sort of peaceful calm in the greenhouse, as if the years of disuse had erased all the usual hustle and bustle of the castle. He trailed his fingers absentmindedly along the center table, leafing casually through the book and staring up through the glass-paned ceiling.

James broke the silence. "Speaking of Herbology, have you guys started studying for the exam tomorrow?" he asked as he looked through one of the glass panels out onto the Hogwarts grounds, the setting sun glinting off his glasses.

"Oh, come on, why'd you have to remind me?" Sirius asked, looking up from the swordfight he and Peter had been having with a pair of garden spades.

"Sorry," James replied with a grin. "I was just checking. The exam _is_ tomorrow, so..." He peered back out the window toward the lake.

"Yeah, we should probably go back and study," Peter squeaked, putting down his spade. Remus nodded his agreement, as the greenhouse was gradually getting dark, and the late hour made him feel guilty that he hadn't really studied enough. _What would Lily say? _He thought with a smile. For a moment he contemplated telling her about the greenhouse, but something told him that this place was just for the boys; their own secret hideout, as it were.

Sirius made an exaggerated frown at Peter's suggestion, but eventually dropped his spade as well and headed toward the stairwell. The boys filed through the door and began to descend the stairs, with Remus bringing up the rear. He cast one more look over his shoulder at the little oasis they had found before he pulled the old door shut. By the time he turned around, Sirius and James had already emerged from the door at the bottom of the stairs and were pushing aside the tapestry that had fallen back down to conceal the door. They checked the hallway for passers-by or worse: the caretaker Pringle, for instance, and then took off running.

"Come on! We've got to add it to the list!" James shouted, and they headed for the Common Room...

* * *

"Where were you guys this evening?" Lily asked Remus later that night as the two of them pored over their notes in a corner of the Common Room. "Gwendolyn and I were looking for you to practice our hexes."

"Oh, sorry we couldn't be target practice, Lily!" he responded with a grin. "We were just wandering around, you know..."

"Ahh," she said, nodding her head and flashing him a knowing smile. "You guys must be getting to know the castle pretty well."

"As well as we can," he replied. "But even though we've found all these shortcuts I seem to have permanently misplaced my ability to do Charms!"

Lily giggled. "I don't blame you. Professor Flitwick said the exam was going to be really hard."

"Oh, like _you_ would be worried about Charms, Lily," he said, glancing at her copious notes on the Color Change Charm.

"Well, why are _you_ looking at your Astronomy notes? For one, you're the best in our year, and for two, we've already _had_ that exam!" she said, gesturing toward the lunar chart perched on top of Remus's notes.

He looked down at his lap and began to twitch his leg, as he often did when he was anxious. He gave a little laugh, hoping that Lily wouldn't notice the nervous strain in his voice. In truth, he had been double-checking the date of the next full moon, but he had forgotten to put away his chart. He quickly moved to stash it away in his bag and mumbled something to Lily. "Just checking, I guess."

But the awkwardness continued as Sirius and James walked over to where he and Lily were sitting. "We've already finished that one, mate," Sirius said, pointing to the lunar chart that Remus was still trying to cram into his bag.

"Yep, thanks," he said with a smile. "Guess I forgot. Must be losing my mind."

"Right then," Sirius said, furrowing his brow. He shot a quizzical look at James, and then plopped into a chair. "Anyway, what are you two working on right now?"

"Charms," Lily replied. "Want to study with us?"

"Ooh, you guys are working on Charms right now?" Gwendolyn asked, her head suddenly peeking up over the back of a chair. "Can we do Herbology next?"

"Would you guys mind if we studied Herbology right now, actually?" Marlene asked from the chair next to Gwendolyn. "I wanted to review the properties of Coltsfoot."

"Wouldn't it be nice if we had a greenhouse here in the castle to study Herbology?" James asked, casting subversive looks at Sirius and Remus who both smiled into their notes.

The rest of the Gryffindors just nodded absentmindedly as they all rustled about for their Herbology notes. Soon Marlene began rattling off the properties of Coltsfoot, and the night plowed on.

* * *

Lily stood on her tiptoes to take down her poster of the Beatles from the wall next to her bed. The Spellotape she had used had stuck to the back of the poster, and she sat down on her bed and started to peel it off. Exams were over and her trunk was almost full. The year was over. A part of her was glad to be going home; she missed her family and her house, and it would be nice not having to study for a few months. Well, except for the summer assignments that some teachers had given.

But overall she was very sad to be leaving Hogwarts. The year had absolutely flown by—it seemed like just days ago that she had boarded the Hogwarts Express. And she knew the return journey wouldn't be as fun.

True, she was glad to be done with exams. She still had a few bumps and bruises from Professor Viridian's exam; Gwendolyn hadn't quite gotten the hang of the Jelly-Legs Jinx, sending Lily into the wall one too many times. And Transfiguration had not gone as well as she had hoped. But those things didn't matter. She had passed her first year; she could come back for her second.

Sometimes Lily still felt those familiar moments of anxiety, feelings she hadn't really felt since the first few days of school: that she wasn't good enough, that people didn't want her in Hogwarts, that she would start failing. She was nervous that first year had been intentionally easier, and that her next six years would be too much. She was worried that her friends would forget her over the summer. Thankfully, however, these feelings were usually fleeting. All she had to do was look at the smiles on her friends' faces and she knew everything would be all right.

Finally she managed to get all of the gunk off the back of her poster, and she rolled it up carefully to place it in her trunk. She sat back on her bed and watched her roommates pack up their things. Marlene was wrapping a picture of her and her brother Michael in some tissue. Diana was gathering her various pink quills and notebooks. Artemia was taking down her poster of her favorite American Quodpot team, the Chicago Chargers. And Gwendolyn was shoving all her clothes haphazardly into her trunk, not bothering to fold them, as was her habit. As she stepped on her robes to cram them deeper into the trunk, she looked up at Lily. "All done packing?"

Lily nodded. Her voice quavered a bit—she was fighting the urge to cry. "Yep. I'm all ready to go home!" She plastered a smile on her face and kicked the top of her trunk down.

"Well, we better get down to the Leaving Feast. Chadwick says it's amazing, especially since we won the House Cup this year!"

"He was _fabulous_ in the last Quidditch match," Diana chimed in, a dreamy look on her face.

Lily giggled—she definitely agreed. Gwendolyn just rolled her eyes. "OK you two, let's go."

They met the boys on the way down to the Great Hall, which was indeed spectacular. It was resplendent in scarlet and gold, and giant Gryffindor Lions glared down at the students from their high-hanging banners. Even the thousand floating candles seemed to glow red and yellow.

Lily knew she hadn't done _that_ much to help Gryffindor win the Cup. Sure, she won a point here and there, but it was mainly the Quidditch Cup Championship that had sealed the deal. But despite this fact, she had never been more proud of anything in her entire life. All around, her fellow Gryffindors were toasting each other with sparkling cider and admiring the decorations.

As the din gradually quieted, Professor Dumbledore stood up to speak. "Another year is over, my friends, and hopefully your lives are richer, your minds are fuller, and your friendships are deeper." There was a general chorus of applause, and Dumbledore smiled as he continued. "I, of course, have a few end-of-term announcements before we begin our most excellent feast. Hogwarts Caretaker Apollyon Pringle has remained true to his word and is resigning effective immediately after finding—and I quote: 'Six hundred seventy-seven and one half Dungbombs throughout the course of the year.' We thank him for his loyal service." He politely applauded, though he was sporting a mischievous grin.

Sirius leaned over to James and whispered: "I guess he never found the other half of that one we tossed in his office!" James laughed.

Gwendolyn gave Sirius a little smack on his arm. "Thanks a lot, Sirius! That corridor has smelled something _awful_ since May!"

Sirius just grinned even wider and turned back to Dumbledore, who was speaking about the House Cup: "... And so, with three hundred and ninety-five points, it is my pleasure to declare Gryffindor House this year's champions! Congratulations!"

There was another round of toasts at the Gryffindor table—Lily found herself splashed with a little too much pumpkin juice—and Dumbledore raised his arms once more to quiet the crowd.

"And so, dear students, it is time to do what we do best here at Hogwarts: to feast! To the graduates I say 'Good luck! Serve fair Hogwarts well.' To everyone else, I say 'Enjoy your meal, enjoy your summer holidays, and may you all return healthy and happy in September!' Tuck in, and good night!"

* * *

The next day the Hogwarts Express was roaring south, carrying the students back home. Lily was sharing her compartment with Gwendolyn, Marlene, Artemia, and Diana, with frequent visits from the Gryffindor boys (minus Janus, of course, who was sitting with his Slytherin friends).

A few of the girls had fallen asleep, and Lily used the momentary silence to look out the window. The countryside was little more than a blur as the steam engine rumbled along, and Lily sighed contentedly. She reached over to her small pile of Chocolate Frogs—her new favorite sweet—and unwrapped one. "Orestes the Overt" was on the card, and she smiled as she remembered that day last September when she had unwrapped her first Chocolate Frog and got the same card.

Just then Sirius popped his head in the door. He glanced down at her card. "Orestes the Overt, eh? Gee, Lily, you're a bit taken with him, aren't you?"

She grinned and looked back down the miniature figure, still gyrating wildly. "A bit, I suppose," she said.

Sirius smiled back at her and cast a brief glance down the corridor of the train. "OK, well, we're a bit bored and lonely in our compartment over there, so if you all want to come chat, you know... Feel free, or whatever. And you can bring some of those Chocolate Frogs if you want."

Lily nodded as he turned and walked back to his compartment. She reached across the seat and gave Gwendolyn's slumbering form a nudge. A few minutes later, with a groggy Gwendolyn in tow, Lily reached the boy's compartment, tossing them each a Frog.

As they settled into a conversation, Lily leaned back against her seat and sighed again. It would be a lonely summer without these friends, that much was true. But think of what she would get to come back to!

September couldn't come soon enough...


	10. Interlude One: March 21st, 1975

**Author's Note: ** Hello, hello, dear readers. I'd like to take a moment to explain to everyone how this story will work, because this chapter is a bit different. At the conclusion of each school year that the gang goes through there will be an interlude. In the last chapter (chap. 8), we saw Lily and Remus and co. packing up to go home. Rather than transition straight into year two, we're going to jump forward in time to 1975. Don't worry; we'll return to 1972 in the next chapter. But the interludes are just a way to keep things in perspective for you. They will always be from Dumbledore's perspective, they will always be short, and they will always deal with Voldemort and his goings-on. So enjoy this little glimpse into the menace that is Voldemort, and we'll return you to your regularly scheduled Marauders in just a moment. As always, thanks to Heather and Nielawen for their super-duper beta skills. Happy reading! 

**INTERLUDE ONE**

"_Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."_

--Franklin Roosevelt

**March 21st, 1975**

Albus Dumbledore used to enjoy breakfast. Who wouldn't? Having porridge and pumpkin juice in the Great Hall while reading the _Daily Prophet_ surely wasn't the worst way to start one's day.

But while the porridge was still good, the _Prophet_ was not. Ever since Tom Riddle had proclaimed himself openly as Lord Voldemort, more and more reports of death and catastrophe had been cropping up in the paper. Some people hadn't noticed. Some people didn't care. And some people still attributed the deaths to accidents, typical homicide, or some "nutter." But Dumbledore knew better.

Lord Voldemort... Dumbledore, of course, was hesitant to call his former pupil that. His name had been Tom Riddle when he was a student at Hogwarts, after all, and no matter how different he had become, that was still his name. The dark moniker seemed to lend a sort of strange credibility to his new image, though, and Dumbledore noticed that already there were some who were afraid to utter the words, as if saying "Lord Voldemort" would really compel Riddle into the Great Hall.

Dumbledore wasn't sure what the death toll so far was, and he was reluctant to find out. He had suspected this, of course. Ever since Tom had returned to Hogwarts in 1955 to ask for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job... So many changes had been wrought in the young man's face in just the ten years since his graduation. What had twenty more years brought? Minions and power. Growing power. Power that _had_ to be checked. And soon.

He looked down at today's issue of the _Daily Prophet_. There was something new today. A photograph of a symbol seemingly etched into the night sky, twinkling as if it were made of stars, not sparks from a wand. A skull with a snake protruding from its mouth. A _Prophet_ editor had named it the "Dark Mark," and Dumbledore had no doubt that the nickname would stick. He was concerned less with the symbol, though, and more with what it stood for. Lord Voldemort and his followers were marking their crime scenes. Marking their territory. And burning their mark into people's minds and hearts.

Dumbledore tore his eyes away from the picture of the "Dark Mark" and surveyed the Great Hall, his head resting pensively on the tips of his fingers. Not every student subscribed to the _Prophet_, and while there were copies available around the school, he knew for a fact that not everyone cared about the news. But his eyes were drawn today to the small groups of students who crowded around papers, eagerly soaking up all the news and taking in this strange new symbol. Every once in a while, a pair of eyes would dart up to the High Table as if to look for reassurance. Dumbledore wasn't sure what he could give in return. He would not let panic grip his school, but students _had_ to know what was going on.

He heaved a sigh and looked again at his paper, the "Dark Mark" glittering menacingly back at him. "Oh, Tom," he murmured to himself. "What have you done?"


	11. Nine: Counting Down and Winding Up

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello, dear readers! This is another short-ish chapter, and I do apologize for that, but trust me when I say that longer stuff is just around the bend (is that a good thing or a bad thing? Who knows!). Anyway, in this chapter we rejoin our heroes (and villains?) during their summers, and it seems that everybody is more than a little excited to go back to Hogwarts. As always, mega-thanks to Heather and Nielawen for their superior beta skills. Happy reading!

**CHAPTER NINE: Counting Down and Winding Up**

Lily awoke in the groggy half-light of dawn. As was her habit now, she glanced at the countdown calendar taped next to her bed. August 18th. Just a few more days until she would be getting back on that wonderful steam engine to go back to her wonderful school and her wonderful friends.

The summer had been... well, _different_ was the best way to put it. It wasn't _bad_, necessarily, but what is one to expect when returning to a life without magic? And it wasn't just a life without magic, it was a life without magic and all that came with it. Without Hogwarts, without the _Daily Prophet_, and—most importantly—without her friends. Sure, they had seen each other every once in a while (most recently just two weeks ago in Diagon Alley), but her days had mainly been spent in relative solitude. Her friends from primary school were nice, sure, but it wasn't as if she could turn to them to talk about the Wagga Wagga Werewolf anytime soon now, was it?

It was just different. Lily felt like she was keeping secrets from the people she had grown up with. And she was, of course. She obviously was forbidden to tell them about Hogwarts. But she couldn't even share stories about people or classes or major events for fear of accidentally revealing some "classified" information. So time with friends from primary school was spent dodging questions about her supposed "boarding school," and Lily was getting a bit weary of the lies.

Really, she just couldn't wait to slip back into the life she had grown to love at Hogwarts. She wanted to be back in the loop; her fingers were itching to try new spells. She was even hesitant to open her new spellbooks for fear that she would inadvertently mutter a spell under her breath, and, from what she'd heard, the Misuse of Magic Office was not a fun one to be in contact with, especially for an underage witch. Eventually, of course, curiosity killed the cat (she always sent an apologetic look to Blanche when she used this expression, but he just purred away), and she cracked open _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Two._ But even Miranda Goshawk's charms and spells couldn't quench her desire to be back at Hogwarts.

Hence the countdown calendar.

Lily realized that six o'clock was too early even for her, so she rolled over and desperately tried to relocate the warm spot under her covers. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, she was asleep again.

* * *

Remus, of course, was very used to countdown calendars. But he had never looked at one with anticipation before. Well, his calendar served two purposes this summer. Every twenty-eight or so days was the familiar mark of the full moon, but there was also a new mark: a giant red circle around September First. The day he could get back to his Hogwarts life. His real life. His friends.

In his mind, this summer had played out differently. More time with Sirius—they were _neighbors_, after all. More visits with Lily. More sojourns to the country to see James. Even more rides on the Underground to see Peter! But things hadn't really worked out the way he planned. They never did.

Oh sure, he saw the boys. He saw Lily. But it wasn't as often as he'd hoped. Remus had a sinking suspicion the Blacks had figured out that Sirius had a friend just feet away from their door, and thus had spent inordinate amounts of time at the summer house. Remus knew that Sirius didn't _intentionally_ leave him all alone on Grimmauld Place, but of course Sirius preferred to be in the country with James, his best friend! Who could blame him? Peter was kept on a pretty short leash, apparently by his stepmother, though the boys never really talked about it. And Lily was all the way out in the suburbs, and it was hard to go see her without arousing those horrid "Aw, Remus wants to visit his girlfriend!" looks from his parents. _Remus _knew that he and Lily were nothing more than friends, but for some reason the elder Lupins could just _not_ fit that little bit of information through their heads. So he gradually realized that letters were much less complicated than visits, and although they were pretty slow at times, at least he could still talk to Lily.

And, try as he might to forget, he was still a werewolf. To make matters worse, it seemed that for some reason his symptoms were getting worse. He was now twelve and a half years old, and as much as he hated when his parents used the dreaded "puberty" word, he couldn't help but think that perhaps his lycanthropy was just not agreeing with his growth spurts and voice cracks, or was at least changing along with him. He was taller now, which was nice, but he felt so much more restless and agitated in the days leading up to the full moon, and he just _knew_ that this would only get worse as he kept growing.

He glanced at the calendar again. August 18th. He was three days past the full moon, so it was all systems normal. He was just a regular boy now. Or as "regular" as a secret adolescent werewolf wizard can actually be.

Smiling a bit ruefully, he thought about his particular situation. Parents and teachers were constantly telling him he seemed so old for his age, but he had always just brushed them off. Didn't old people say that all the time? Right before they pinched your cheeks and said, "My, how you've grown"? But maybe, just maybe, they were right. And Remus was never really sure how to feel about being "wise beyond his years," but he was beginning to realize that there was a lot more to it than wisdom. But why did his werewolf tendencies have to start acting up now? It would be much harder to explain away his moods and his absences if they started making themselves much more pronounced.

Sometimes he could not believe his friends hadn't figured him out yet. Sirius, James, and Lily were all _brilliant_, but they had just accepted his excuses every time. Surely, _surely_ they suspected something, right? After all, how many times could he say "My mum is sick" before they just threw in the towel and demanded to go to St. Mungo's with him? His luck was going to run out soon. He just knew it.

But would it really matter if it did? A large part of him wanted so badly to tell them. To just confess everything. He knew they would accept him. He didn't know how he knew, or why, but some part of him was assured that this bunch would not be scared off. In fact, they'd probably love it.

Even deeper than this knowledge of their certain acceptance, however, was his knowledge that he could _never_ tell. He couldn't break Professor Dumbledore's trust. He couldn't just carelessly disregard everything that Hogwarts had sacrificed to accept him merely because it was sometimes hard to keep a secret.

But some nights as he fell asleep, a small part of Remus was comforted with a single thought: "They could find out on their _own_!" As he lay in bed, he would begin to brainstorm various ways to "help" them figure out his secret. And although he knew he would probably never actually put these plans into action, on these nights, he slept much more soundly.

* * *

It always amazed Peter Pettigrew how easily his stepmother got annoyed. It was OK because she never stayed irritated for long, but she seemed to give in to little perturbations much more often than not. And much more often than his father, for certain.

For instance, some time in the middle of July, Peter had asked his dad if he wanted to help him make a calendar counting down the days until he returned to Hogwarts. It wasn't like he was _dying_ to get out of the house or anything, but apparently that was how Frances took it. She pursed her lips and didn't say anything, but her eyes spoke volumes—they usually did.

Douglas had accepted the offer, though, and dove into the project with gusto. As soon as the calendar was finished and hung near the breakfast table, Peter started to climb up the stairs to check with his owl for any new letters from Sirius, James, or Remus. As his foot landed on the third step, he heard the familiar sounds of an argument drifting up from the kitchen.

"Frances, I just don't understand why you don't _respect_ his decision! He _wanted_ to go to Hogwarts. He _loves_ it there! So what if he wants to make a calendar? So what if he wants to go back? We should be happy for him! Can't you respect that?" Peter found himself nodding in agreement, and his eyes felt a little moist with the thought that his father was defending him.

He heard his stepmother exhale, and he could picture her nostrils flared in annoyance, as they so often were. He couldn't help but give a little giggle. Sometimes she really looked like a horse. "Douglas," he heard her say, "I _respect_ him, of course I do, it's just that he's only twelve years old! Does he really know what's best for him?"

"Well, I think he should have a pretty good idea, and if he doesn't, it's about time for him to learn! I mean, if he grows up being bossed around by people, how will he ever learn to stand up for himself?" asked Douglas, posing a decidedly bold question, but sounding rather unsure as he said it.

"That's not the point, darling," she replied. "The point is that he's still so young, and I just don't think now is the right time for him to be making life-changing decisions like this! I'm not 'bossing him around.' I'm just asking that how does he even know that he wants to grow up as a Wizard? He could just renounce magic and live life as a _normal_ boy—"

Douglas cut her off. "My dear, haven't we had this conversation a million times already? Renouncing magic is harder than it sounds. It's a _part_ of you, it's..."

But Peter didn't stay for the rest. They really _had_ had the conversation a million times. Magic seemed so hard for Muggles to grasp; Peter really didn't understand. It wasn't like a faucet that you could turn on and off. And _why_ would he even think about renouncing magic? He loved magic!

But the two of them could spend hours talking about it, debating, and having their little arguments. In the end, they always agreed to disagree, and to kiss and make up. It didn't really bother Peter anymore. By dinnertime, this little spat was completely forgotten. By Douglas and Frances, that is.

That particular argument had taken place about a month ago. The calendar this morning had read August 18th. Peter flopped down onto his bed. August 18th. Just a few more days. He flipped over on his back and shut his eyes, trying to concentrate on his most recent letter from Remus. But his father's words from that day kept floating up to the surface. _"If he grows up being bossed around by people, how will he ever learn to stand up for himself?_" The thought disturbed him, but he wasn't sure why. Did he let himself be bossed around? Surely not. His friends were too good to take advantage of him like that.

But still, something about the sentiment of the words kept ringing in his ears. He turned over once again, and eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

"No, mate, what I _said_ was that you couldn't play Seeker if they attached wings to the _Quaffle_!" Sirius grinned from atop his broomstick as he let his words sink in. The boys had been playing Quidditch for hours, practically from sun up to sun down every day for a week. The Blacks had gotten wind of Remus, and the thought of their son potentially being happy in London was enough to drive them to the country, where at least they could keep him around respectable Wizard families. Not like he ever paid attention to what his parents said, of course.

James heard Sirius's insult, cocked his head to one side and raised his Beater's bat. "You want to say that one more time? Maybe I should come closer, eh?" He shot forward a bit on his new Nimbus 1001 and playfully swung the bat at Sirius, who ducked out of the way just in time, rolling into a perfectly controlled spin and barreling down toward the ground, coming to a halt right in front of Mrs. Potter, who looked like she was about to faint.

"Boys, do you have to fly so _high_, and with all the crazy spin moves and such?" She was clutching her chest and squeezing her husband's arm, her knuckles white with fright, and her face even paler.

"'Course they do!" grunted Charles jovially from her side. "Sirius, that was a beautiful dive, if I do say so myself. You should think about giving Seeker a try! Give Jamesy-Boy a run for his money!" He gave Sirius a wink, though they both knew that if _anybody_ gave 'Jamesy-Boy' a 'run for his money,' there would most certainly be consequences.

"Oh, I don't know, Mr. Potter. I don't think I'm quite cut out for Seeker," Sirius said, deftly deflecting any of Mr. Potter's worry. But he couldn't help but add in a taunt or two: "I mean, I'm better than _James_, of course, but who isn't?" Sirius returned the wink, sending a hearty one Charles's way.

James had now joined his family on the ground. He hopped off his broomstick and started to peel off his gloves. "I know who _is_ better than me," he said, perhaps a tad _too_ morosely. "Michael McKinnon."

"Rubbish!" said Charles.

"Surely he's not!" said Grace.

"Yeah, he _is_ pretty good," said Sirius, grinning.

James shot his friend a look and plopped onto the ground. "He _is_, though. He's a brilliant Seeker! _And_ he's already on the team! _And_ he's practically best mates with the Captain. How am I supposed to compete with that?"

"Have you tried bribery?" his father suggested, and there was a bit of an awkward silence before Charles chuckled and said, "Only joking, only joking." But not everyone was convinced he really was.

"Oh, James," said Grace, reaching down to smooth her son's hair for the umpteenth time that day. "I'm _sure_ the Quidditch tryouts will be fine. You boys looked so talented up there, doing your Dempsey Dives!"

Sirius and James both smiled. "Demp_sen_ Dives, Mrs. Potter," Sirius corrected her as he dismounted his own broomstick. "But good try!" He gave her an encouraging pat on the arm.

"Well, with so many Quidditch books lying around the house... I mean, what's a mother to do but try to brush up on it?" she asked. Charles had never looked prouder of his wife.

Just then though, the bliss was shattered by a shriek coming from the direction of the Potter's kitchen—more specifically, their kitchen fireplace. Sirius groaned automatically as he realized the voice. "Well," he said, hitching his broomstick over his shoulder. "I guess that means Mum wants me to come home for supper."

"Are you _sure_ you can't stay?" asked Mrs. Potter, giving Sirius one of her pleading-pity looks.

"Yes, but thanks, as always. I've got to finish a letter to Remus anyway, so it's best that I go home."

"Oh, I bet you two are so excited to see everyone again! James, you should write Remus a letter, too!" Grace said, and fixed her imploring stare on her son.

"I already have, Mum! Sent it off with Tufts yesterday."

"That's excellent! And is Remus going to get to come visit us again before school starts? What day is it today?"

"It's August 18th, Mum. I don't think we'll get to see him again, but at least there are only a few days left before we go back!" James jumped up and tried to click his heels together in mid-air, but only managed to trip over his broomstick.

Sirius gave a snort and started home. "I'll leave now, so that donkey will stop her braying," he said, making Mrs. Potter scowl and give him a little slap on the head, though she _did_ look relieved that Mrs. Black's screeches would soon stop.

After a few paces, though, Sirius turned back around. "I'm sleeping over tonight, yeah? Is that still all right?"

"Sure, just come back over after dinner," said James, thinking that "sleeping over" was perhaps not the best way to describe their upcoming night. Midnight games of Quidditch were much more fun than sleep.


	12. Ten: Quaffles and Questions

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello, dear readers! Here we are, back at Hogwarts for the second year of our favorite Gryffindors. In this chapter our heroes wonder about the DADA curse and the nature of Remus's "mysterious absences," and James finally comes to terms with the fact that he won't be the Gryffindor Seeker, poor boy. Thanks to my most excellent betas, as always, and happy reading! 

**CHAPTER TEN: Quaffles and Questions**

"How do you keep it a secret?"

Remus nearly choked on his cornflakes as Lily clambered onto the bench opposite the table from him. She handed him a napkin and repeated herself: "I mean, seriously. How do you keep it a secret?"

His face flushed and his eyes darted from side to side. _Oh God, she knows!_ "Keep what a secret?" he asked, mentally cursing his voice for squeaking when he was trying so hard to remain calm.

"You know... You! Your condition!" She said, gesturing at him.

Remus felt his palms get sweaty, though he wished for some of that moisture for his throat, as it had gone completely dry. "I, um, I guess I still don't understand what you're asking," he said, staring intently at his cornflakes. _Could she see him sweat?_

"_Magic_, silly! Being a wizard! How do you keep it secret from your Muggle friends?"

"Oh, _that_," he said, relieved that air had once again found its way to his lungs.

"Yeah," responded Lily, raising one eyebrow. "What did you think I was talking about?"

"Nothing," he said hastily, stuffing his mouth with another bite of cereal.

"OK. Well, you went to a Muggle primary school, right?" She continued as he nodded. "So your friends must have expected you to go on to their secondary school, right? But you obviously didn't. So what do you tell them?"

He smiled and shrugged. "Well, to be perfectly honest, Lily, I didn't have many friends from primary school. And the few I did have... Well, I guess I just told them I was going away to boarding school. Pretty simple, really."

She sighed and filled her goblet with juice. "I guess so. I just... Sometimes I feel like I can't even write letters to my old friends, because I think I'll accidentally mention some Charm and have to explain myself. Don't you ever get tired of keeping secrets?"

Remus almost started laughing despite Lily's serious tone. How ironic was it that Lily was concerned about keeping the comparatively _tiny_ secret of being a witch when _he_ was forbidden to tell anyone about being a _werewolf_! Not that his burden made him special, or anything. Well, he was special, of course, but not _above_ anyone else. But Lily's question made something inside him stir. He was suddenly seized with the desire to confess everything to her, to rid himself of his own secret. She would understand, right? She wouldn't be scared, she wouldn't recoil in fear. He could tell her. He _needed_ to tell her...

He just sat with his mouth open, as if he were about to speak. Lily was starting to look at him, and her left eyebrow began to raise as it did when she was confused. The words were at the tip of his tongue. They were _right there. _ Everything he had been keeping inside for so long was just about to burst forward!

But of course, his rational side prevailed, and finally he just shrugged again in response to her question.

After a brief moment of silence, he decided to change the subject. "What do you think of classes so far?"

It was now September 7th, and Remus could hardly believe that a full week had already passed.

Lily looked pensive for a second and then said, "Well, I really like Charms still. It sounds like we'll be learning some really good stuff this year. And Potions, too. And I think Defense Against the Dark Arts is going to be... _interesting_, let's say."

"More like complete and total rubbish," came a familiar voice from over Lily's shoulder. She and Remus looked up to see Sirius slam his books onto the table and hop onto the bench. James soon followed suit, plopping down next to Remus. Peter was not far behind, though he didn't look as miffed as his two comrades.

"_Defense_ Against the Dark Arts. _Defense_! Not defensive _theory_!" whined James, loading his plate with bacon and sausages. "Why can't she understand that? Viridian did!"

Lily laughed. "Oh come on, James. Last year was hardly about defense, either. Professor Viridian taught us _offense_, and you know it!"

"Yeah, you're right, and we're much the wiser for it," he huffed. "Better to learn how to _do_ the hexes than to learn _about_ them, am I right?"

"Absolutely!" answered Sirius, stealing a sausage off James's plate. "This Professor... I don't even know her _name_, that's how boring the class is."

"Benton," supplied Remus.

"Thanks, mate. Anyway, how does she expect us to learn anything?"

"Maybe she's just nervous," said Peter thoughtfully. "I mean, she doesn't look very old; this is probably her first teaching job."

Sirius opened his mouth to retort, but apparently could not think of anything to say.

James, on the other hand, still had plenty of grievances to air. "What happened to Professor Viridian, anyway? He was great!"

"Yeah, and he never said anything about leaving!" Sirius added.

"Maybe it's the Curse of the Dark Arts job," said Gwendolyn, who had just shown up and was sitting down next to Lily.

"Oh, that's just a load of rubbish. The job isn't cursed!" said Remus to Gwendolyn, who just raised her eyebrows in challenge.

"You don't think so?" she asked.

"No! It's not a teapot or a deck of cards, it's a _job_! How can it be cursed?" Remus responded.

"How do you explain all the different teachers, then?" Gwendolyn was quick to point out.

"He probably just had to go back to publishing," Lily said, stopping the argument before it could progress any farther. Gwendolyn was becoming notorious for talking one's ears off during an argument, and Lily thought it best to avoid such a show before breakfast had even finished. "Those hex books don't write themselves, you know."

"Actually, they might, but that's completely beside the point," countered Sirius, pointing his spoon at Lily.

"Sorry, what was the point again?" asked Gwendolyn.

For the second time that breakfast (and possibly in his entire life), Sirius seemed to not have anything to say. "I don't actually remember," he finished lamely.

"Something on your mind, Sirius?" asked Gwendolyn, surveying him over the rim of her goblet.

"Quidditch tryouts are today," answered James. "After classes let out."

"And you're both trying out?" Lily asked the boys, who both nodded. "Are you, Remus? Or you, Peter? Or any of the girls, too, I suppose?"

Her inquiry was met with a chorus of nos.

"You decided not to give it a try, Gwendolyn?" Sirius asked, looking a bit disappointed.

"Yeah, I realized that I'm a much better spectator than player. And I think the only position I would want would be Keeper, and I doubt Jack Daltrey is going anywhere this season, seeing as he's Captain."

Sirius groaned. "I forgot about him. That really doesn't leave very many open spots at all!"

"Just two at Chaser and one Beater, with the team as it stands now," she supplied.

This time it was James's turn to groan, and he did so with gusto. "I don't suppose Michael McKinnon is likely to give up on the sport anytime soon, is he? I'd love to be Seeker."

"Oh, I hope he doesn't! He's so good!" Peter chimed in from his spot next to James.

"Thanks, Pete. Just what I wanted to hear," James said morosely, twirling his spoon around his bowl of porridge.

Peter blushed a little. "Well, all I was saying is wouldn't it be fun to do something different? I think being a Beater would be wicked." He looked around the table for support.

"It would be a good form of anger management, I guess," said Remus, grinning slightly, "But I don't like the job hazards. Those Bludgers will knock you out faster than one of Professor Binns's lectures!"

"Speaking of..." Lily said over the chorus of laughter as she peered at her wristwatch, "We're going to be late for first period if we don't leave soon."

Now _everyone_ groaned, gathered up his or her parcels, and trudged off in the direction of History of Magic—taking a few sausages with, of course!

* * *

"That was excellent, Potter, but didn't you hear me say we're not looking for a Seeker right now? Mike's doing just fine, and we'd like to keep him, if you don't mind."

Jack Daltrey, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, put down his bullhorn, kicked up off the ground and flew up to meet James. Better to have this conversation one-on-one.

"Honestly, James, you've got talent. You fly really, really well, and I'd love to have you on the team. You'd be a great asset. But it's going to be as Chaser or nothing else, understand?"

"There's no such thing as Co-Seeker? Splitting the matches?" James asked, only half joking. He was flattered, of course, but at the same time quite disappointed.

"Nope. No such thing. Sorry, mate. But I think you'll be bloody good at Chaser. Just give it a try." Daltrey tossed James the Quaffle and sped to the other end of the pitch, waiting to defend his goalposts.

James tossed the Quaffle back and forth in his hands. He had always _liked_ playing Chaser when he played with his dad or Sirius. And yes, it wasn't Seeker, but it was still a place on the team. He looked across the pitch, his eyes narrowing in on the three hoops. He could do this. No sweat. Immediately he felt his mind shift into "Quidditch Mode." This time, however, instead of keeping his eyes peeled for the Snitch, he found himself analyzing Daltrey's every move, and figuring out the best way to get the Quaffle through the hoops.

He took off, the Quaffle light in his hands, the breeze cool on his face. He was flying straight at Daltrey, crouched low over his broom, and staring his potential Captain squarely in the face while he circled the goal posts. But all the time he was making mental notes of Daltrey's moves around his periphery, noticing that he seemed to favor the left post and leave the right unguarded. After thirty more seconds of observation, James made the tiniest hint of flying left, and Daltrey bought it. At the last moment, however, James pulled a hard right on his broom and pelted the Quaffle through the goal post, then dove down to catch it before it hit the bottom of the pitch.

The whole affair had lasted less than a minute, but James could feel his heart thumping against his ribs in excitement. Daltrey flew down and clapped him on the back. "See?" he said, grabbing the Quaffle from James's hands. "What did I tell you?"

James just grinned and shrugged. He heard Sirius call out to him, and slowly glided down to the ground, where a small gaggle of Gryffindors was watching the tryouts.

"You know if that had been me up there that you wouldn't have gotten the Quaffle anywhere _near_ the hoop, right?" Sirius asked, giving James a little nudge.

"Why don't you try out, then, Sirius?" asked Lily. James hadn't noticed her there, and his stomach did a little flip when he heard her voice—something he probably could not chalk up to flying. He shook it off, though, as he listened to Sirius's answer.

"Oh, I did try out. I think I'm being considered for Chaser, too," he said, scratching behind his ear as he always did when he was deep in thought.

"That's great!" Gwendolyn said enthusiastically. "Chadwick told me they were hoping for two young Chasers so they could have something to build the team around for the future."

Lily had been listening, but let her mind wander as Gwendolyn continued. She liked Quidditch, of course, but sometimes it was unbelievable how much these three talked about it. And Remus, too, but he wasn't there. Come to think of it...

"Hey, does anyone know where Remus is?" she asked, not really noticing that she was interrupting their discussion. "Sorry," she added hastily as they all looked at her abruptly.

"I'm right here," came his familiar voice over her shoulder. She turned to see Remus striding over to the Gryffindor group, his schoolbag slung over his shoulder.

"Where were you?" asked James. "We thought maybe you were gone on one of those mysterious absences of yours!"

Nobody said anything for a few seconds. Sirius elbowed James in the stomach. Remus looked taken aback, and perhaps a bit nervous. Lily glared at James. They had all noticed his frequent absences, of course, but nobody had outright mentioned them like that, and certainly not in public!

Remus let out a bit of a chuckle and attempted to deflect the awkwardness. "I was just finishing up a bit of homework in the library. You can check with Madam Pince to verify that nothing mysterious was going on, if you'd like." He chuckled again, and Lily _definitely_ heard a twinge of nervousness in his laugh.

"Sirius would like that," said Gwendolyn. "He fancies Madam Pince."

Lily felt an immense wave of relief wash over her as everyone started laughing, including Sirius. And, most importantly, Remus. The awkward moment had passed, although all present were still left with some lingering questions...

* * *

A week later, Remus was actually gone on one of his "mysterious absences." He had promised to help Lily with her Astronomy homework, but she could not find him anywhere. She was wandering around the common room, peering over the high-backed chairs and even under various tables. That is, until she realized how ridiculous she must have looked.

She was about to head back up to the girl's dormitory when she saw James, Sirius, and Peter sitting in their usual corner. Figuring them to be good for a laugh, and better than star charts alone in her room, she headed over and sat down across from James. There weren't too many people in the Common Room, but she made sure to keep her voice down anyway. She actually had a question she was burning to ask them, and there was no time like the present. "So, what do you all think about Remus?"

"You mean how he keeps leaving?" said James, looking visibly excited to take a break from his History homework. He blew on his parchment a few times to dry the ink, then hastily rolled it up and stuck his quill behind his ear. Sirius and Peter, too, looked up from their homework—not that it took much for them to be distracted.

"Right. I mean, his mum must be really sick!" she said, pulling her legs up and resting her chin on her knees.

"And his aunt, too. That's what he's told me a few times. Maybe it's some horrible disease that runs in his family. Oh, I hope Remus doesn't get sick!" said Peter, who was lying on his stomach next to James's chair.

"It's not 'some horrible disease,' Pete. Something about it just doesn't feel right to me," said Sirius, furrowing his brow.

James raised his eyebrows and turned toward his friend, his quill still perched jauntily behind his ear. "You think he's lying?"

"No, not _lying_ really," said Sirius, shaking his head. "But I mean, I've seen his mum a bunch of times. They had me 'round to their house once or twice this summer—whenever _my_ mum would let me out. And Mrs. Lupin always seemed perfectly healthy to me."

"Maybe she's just recently become sick?" Peter suggested, though it was clear none of them believed it.

Lily scrunched her face up. "Right, maybe, but didn't he say that she was sick last year, too?"

The three boys all nodded.

"So we think he's definitely covering up for something?" James asked, looking from person to person.

Sirius shook his head again. "I just don't understand _what _he would have to be covering up, though. You'd think he'd be able to tell us! We are his best friends, after all."

"Maybe it's something that embarrasses him," said Lily, racking her brain to think of what that something could possibly be.

"Doubt it. I mean, we embarrass each other all the time, and he never seems to mind that," Sirius countered.

"Oh, that is true. Although I really wish you all wouldn't have set off that Dungbomb in the corridor the other day," said Peter. "It started to smell just as McGonagall was walking by, and she gave me a really strange look."

James grinned. "But that was our newest discovery! Time-release Dungbombs! They come in handy quite often."

"OK, well I think there's a big difference between 'Time-release Dungbombs' and something personal that he can't share with us," Lily said, rolling her eyes at their silly pranks, although Time-release Dungbombs did sound quite ingenious—not that she would ever admit it!

"Well, of _course_," James said, looking a bit affronted. "I was just explaining... Oh, never mind," he said as he waved his hand. "I agree that it's probably something sensitive. I just wish he would tell us."

"Me too," said Sirius.

"Me three," said Peter.

"Me four!" came Gwendolyn's voice from over Lily's shoulder. She leaned on the back of Lily's chair. "Now, who do we wish would tell us what?"

They all looked at one another and a tacit agreement somehow formed, impelling them to not reveal what they were actually talking about.

"We, er..." started James, looking like he could use a good Time-release Dungbomb as a distraction. He glanced at Sirius for help.

"We wish you would tell us how you enchant yourself to stay awake in Professor Binns's class, and if you're willing to share your secret." Sirius responded with his usual flair.

"Ah. Well, chums, that's one secret I'll take to the grave. Now who wants to go to dinner?"

Lily got up, glad to be doing something to distract herself from thinking about Remus. The whole matter was very suspicious...


	13. Eleven: Whomping Willow Whacking

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello, dear readers! Welcome to Chapter 11, where things really start to get interesting for Mr. Lupin. Keep your eyes peeled for the cameo by the infamous Davey Gudgeon, and wonder with Remus about how much longer his secret will last. The chips are beginning to fall... Obligatory beta shout-out: Heather and Nielawen rock! Happy reading! 

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Whomping Willow Whacking**

"Come on, Sirius, we've got to get changed for Quidditch practice," James said as the Gryffindors strolled idly away from the Herbology greenhouses one lazy Tuesday afternoon.

"Nah, I think I'll skive off this afternoon. I don't really feel like going," Sirius responded, stretching his arms high over his head and plopping down in the grass overlooking the lake.

"Didn't you skip practice last Thursday?" Gwendolyn asked as she took a seat next to him.

"Yeah, what of it?" He responded, slightly agitated.

"Nothing, mate! Just curious," she replied, and leaned back to lie down in the grass.

James sighed but didn't say anything. What Sirius didn't know was that their captain, Jack Daltrey, had been less than pleased by Sirius's absence on Thursday, and if he missed again tonight, Daltrey would probably take it out on James. But when Sirius got in moods like this, there was nothing and no one that could convince him otherwise.

As James was pondering these things, he caught Remus's eyes. Remus wore an expression that seemed to ask, "Are you really going to let him skip?" To Remus, it didn't seem right for Sirius to just skip practice because he didn't feel like it, while _he_ couldn't even try out for anything because of his "condition."

"Fine, Sirius, but if you get kicked off the team, it's your fault," James said, trying to be casual, but looking a little worked up.

Sirius seemed to get the message. He rolled over and groaned. "Fine, James, I won't skip. But practice isn't for another half an hour; let's just stay here for a bit." James looked at his watch and at the castle, but his friend noticed this hesitation. "Come on, man! Look, the Hufflepuffs are coming up from the greenhouses. I bet they'll try to play that ridiculous game with the Whomping Willow again. Fancy a try?"

"Oh, Sirius, you've got to be joking!" Marlene said.

All present groaned. Marlene was raising an objection—something she was quite fond of doing.

"And what makes you say that, Marly?" he asked lazily, making it noticibly clear he didn't care too much at all.

"Because that is the most dangerous game I can possibly think of!" she responded, looking at the menacing branches of the tree with a worried expression on her face.

"See, that's where you're wrong, Marlene," James said, apparently deciding to give up his quest for the castle and join Sirius on the grass. "I was reading about these two Scottish wizards who tried to invent a game like polo, except they rode on top of manticores instead of horses. That's a bit more dangerous than Whomping Willow Whacking, wouldn't you say?"

Marlene looked like she was about to protest, probably to point out—quite correctly—that playing polo atop manticores would be impossible. But Lily spoke before she could.

"OK, what exactly is Whomping Willow Whacking? I don't know if I've ever seen you all play before."

"It is an incredibly stupid and pointless game, and someone is going to get hurt," Remus said, hardly glancing up from the Herbology textbook he had pulled out, though it was easy to see that he looked genuinely worried underneath his nonchalant exterior.

"Well, that's what Grandfather Lupin here thinks," Sirius said, grinning his brightest at Lily. "For the rest of us, Whomping Willow Whacking involves running up close to that blasted tree over there and trying to touch the stem before its bloody branches bloody us."

There was a long pause where no one said anything. Sirius held his arms aloft as if he had just finished some sort of grand demonstration and now expected Lily's applause. James was also staring intently at Lily, waiting for her reaction. Remus had temporarily abandoned his homework and was just shaking his head ruefully.

After a long moment, she spoke. "Yeah, I'm going to agree with Remus and Marlene on this one. Stupidest game on the planet. Congratulations, boys, you've outdone yourself." She sat down next to Remus and fished her own Herbology textbook out of her bag.

"Oh come on, Lily!" James pleaded. "Why else would they have planted that giant tree except for our amusement? It's not _actually_ going to hurt someone!"

"Famous last words, mate," said Sirius, though he was now eyeing the tree with palpable excitement. "Man, we can take them," he growled upon seeing a group of Hufflepuff second-years get dangerously close to the tree's thrashing branches.

"Totally. Let's go." James said, hopping to his feet. Sirius quickly followed suit, and gradually the whole gang moved closer to the action.

"See, Fin MacFusty is pretty quick—he might actually have a shot." Sirius was strategizing, as usual. "But Davey Gudgeon is slower than my dead grandmother. He doesn't stand a chance."

"Don't know why he even bothers," James agreed.

"_I_ don't know why _you _even bother," said Remus, a bit under his breath. Sirius and James ignored him, but Lily didn't.

As the two boys walked closer to the tree and the rest of the Gryffindors established the peanut gallery, Lily turned to Remus. "Why does it upset you so much? I mean, it's not like they haven't done things just as stupid, and you never seemed to mind before!"

Remus shifted uncomfortably. How could he explain his discomfort without giving away his secret? The tree was there to protect _him_, and if the others found out about the secret passage at the base of its trunk... Well, it would bring up too many questions, among other things.

"This is different, Lily. It's one thing to run around the castle and set off Dungbombs and mess with the suits of armor. But this tree... I don't know why it's here," he said, his eyes darting to the ground lest she saw the lies evident there, "but it's not for our enjoyment, I'm pretty sure. That's all."

"That's a good reason," she agreed. "But I think our friends would disagree."

Sure enough, Sirius and James were now ducking in and out of the whipping branches, taunting Davey and Fin as the four of them all tried valiantly to touch the trunk.

Remus started to sweat. Though he knew it was hard to see the big hole at the base of the trunk when one was busy dodging its branches, he also knew that Sirius and James were incredibly observant, and always on the lookout for new secret stuff.

Remus lifted his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow and returned to his Herbology homework. He cleared his throat and squeaked, "Um, Lily? Did you get the third place where Mandrakes are most commonly found? I think I only heard the first two."

"Yeah, let me grab my notes," Lily said, rifling through her bag.

Remus kept stealing glances at the Whomping Willow Whackers, though it looked like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Yet. A few more Hufflepuff boys had joined in the game, but so far nobody had touched the trunk. Yet. Remus's heart was palpitating, but he hadn't cracked under the pressure. Yet.

Peter was sitting next to Remus and was practically twitching with excitement. He had taken a particularly bad blow to the back during an earlier game, and ever since had been a little hesitant to join in the "fun." But he still rolled and ducked along with Sirius and James, even though he was twenty feet from the tree.

"I think Sirius is going to get it this time," Peter said, his eyes narrowed. "He keeps doing that sort of somersault thing. He'll probably hit it with his leg."

Remus just nodded and muttered a noncommittal grunt. With his luck, Sirius would probably somersault right through the secret passage, end up in the Shrieking Shack, and then... Remus shuddered. He was only a day away from transformation. If Sirius or James found the secret passage, the results could—_would_—be disastrous.

"Hey Remus, are you OK?" Gwendolyn's voice drifted in from somewhere next to him. "You look really pale."

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... uh... thinking." But Gwendolyn didn't have time to respond before Remus spoke again. "Oh no," he said quietly, and then again louder. "Oh no!"

"What?" asked Peter in a worried squeak, thinking perhaps that Sirius or James had been hurt.

"What is Davey doing with that stick?" Remus asked, paranoia creeping in quickly. If Davey somehow found the knot that stopped the tree's branches, well that would _really_ be it.

Remus tried to shake it off. There was _no_ way that Davey could get lucky enough to find that knot. It was a tiny knot on a giant tree, and Davey was just flailing the stick about haphazardly. The odds were overwhelmingly against him hitting just the right spot. Stars, planets, the _universe_ would have to align in order for Davey to hit the knot.

"Yeah, that's against the rules!" Peter exclaimed, mistaking Remus's anxiety for annoyance. "You have to touch the tree with your body!" Peter hopped to his feet and was jogging to the tree, most likely to warn James and Sirius that they had a cheater in their midst.

"Hey, why has Sirius stopped? What is he staring at? If he doesn't keep moving, he's going to get whacked!" Gwendolyn exclaimed, her eyes focused quizzically on Sirius who did indeed seem to be peering at the base of the tree.

What happened next happened in the briefest of moments. Remus leapt to his feet and sprinted toward Sirius. James moved to join Sirius in examining the tree and Peter was not far behind, all three ducking and twisting to avoid the branches. Sirius and James looked at each other and waved Remus over. At that precise moment, however, Davey Gudgeon—who was still playing the game—took a blow straight to the face. The branch threw him backwards and he stumbled a few feet, only to be caught by another branch that shoved him back toward the trunk. He fell onto his stick, and—against all odds, against all hopes, against all of Remus's prayers—pressed the knot, then crumpled to the ground. The Whomping Willow shuddered to a halt. Not even the breeze disturbed its leaves and branches.

Remus panicked as silence settled over the scene, everyone trying to figure out what had just happened. Then Davey's piercing scream ruptured the silence. Remus reached for Sirius and James, barely registering that they had, in fact, found the entrance to the tunnel. "Get Davey out from underneath the tree!" he shouted at them. "Fin, get away from the branches!" he shouted to Fin MacFusty and the group of Hufflepuff boys who just stood, eyes agog. "Peter, get back over there!" he said to Peter who was looking up at the still branches with trepidation. "And _somebody_ go get Madam Pomfrey!" he shouted to no one in particular.

There was another long moment where nobody did anything. Everyone was too overwhelmed by the many extreme oddities of the situation: the Whomping Willow wasn't Whomping, Remus Lupin was shouting orders, and Sirius Black and James Potter were standing stock-still and silent.

Remus just blinked. "GO!" he shouted, and everyone sprang to life. While Sirius and James dragged the bleeding Davey out of the reach of the tree and Marlene and Gwendolyn bolted to the castle, Remus used the stick to press the knot, and the tree started thrashing again. Hoping nobody would connect the two actions, Remus decided to cover his tracks by yelling, "It started moving again! Everybody get away!"

He crouched low and put his hands over his head, then stumbled as fast as he could to Davey and the rest of the boys to survey the damage. It was bad. The first branch had cut a huge gash across Davey's face, and presumably over one of his eyes as well, as he clutched both hands over it and writhed in pain.

Within minutes, though, the girls had returned with Madam Pomfrey. Marlene was white in the face and looked about ready to faint. Gwendolyn just stood by Lily and Peter, all three visibly concerned. Madam Pomfrey sprang into action. "Out of the way! Out of the way, you silly, stupid boys!" There was a fury in her face that made even Sirius recoil faster than lightning.

"I told Professor Dumbledore this tree would be nothing but trouble. But did he listen?" She was muttering to herself as she examined Davey's cuts and bruises. "Too dangerous, I said. There are other ways..." she trailed off, and looked Remus directly in the face.

He stepped backwards involuntarily. Of course Madam Pomfrey knew the reason for the tree's presence, knew the reason was _him_. But it wasn't his fault that Davey was now bleeding profusely, was it?

Madam Pomfrey seemed to realize this, or at least paid attention to the pleading look in Remus's eyes. She sent him a tight-lipped smile of reassurance, though her nostrils flared in frustration. She then stood to conjure a stretcher and carry Davey back up toward the castle.

As he and the stretcher floated independently up the hill, Madam Pomfrey turned around to the group of students, wagging her finger at them all. "See? See, you harebrained children, what playing under this tree does to you? Do it again, and we'll see how apt I am to treat _your_ cuts and gashes, hmm?" And with a ruffle of her skirt, she turned and sprinted after the stretcher.

Nobody spoke. They were all too busy replaying the events of the last five minutes in their minds. Finally, Fin MacFusty turned to Remus, his face wan and white. "Thanks for taking charge back there, mate. You really helped."

"No problem. I just really hate this tree," Remus said and managed a small smile, though he was still having trouble steadying his breathing. "If you go visit him, find us and give an update, all right?"

"Sure, no problem," Fin said, turning with his gang to head to the castle. "And thanks again, really."

The Gryffindors eyed each other and, without a word, followed the Hufflepuffs back up the hill, occasionally casting glances over their shoulders to see if the Whomping Willow had stopped moving again. Only Remus looked straight ahead.

"She's right, you know," whispered Marlene. "Madam Pomfrey. You really shouldn't—"

Mercifully, Gwendolyn interrupted. "Marlene, now is not the time, OK? Let's just not talk about this tree for a while."

Marlene nodded and cast her eyes at the ground. No one else broke the silence until they saw the Quidditch pitch off in the distance.

"Gwen, are you coming to watch practice?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, think so," she replied. "Lily? Remus? Peter? Want to go watch?"

"Sure," Lily said, but Remus shook his head, and Peter did not respond.

"I'm not really in the mood right now," Remus said. Feeling like he was being perhaps a tad too morose, however, he added, "but maybe I'll catch the tail end?"

Gwendolyn nodded and the rest of the journey to Gryffindor Tower passed in silence.

"Remus, you've _got_ to believe us. There was a giant hole at the base of that tree. I saw it, and Sirius did, too!"

James and Sirius were both nodding feverishly as they stripped off their school robes and changed into more appropriate Quidditch-playing togs.

Remus hesitated. "I don't know, guys. I mean, you only saw it for a second, right? Before Davey got hit?"

"Yeah, but when the tree stopped moving we got a real good look at it," Sirius said, his eyes practically aglow at the thought of a potential new passage.

"And what was _that_ all about anyway? I've never seen the Whomping Willow stop moving when it has enemies in its path!" cried James. "What's next? Will the world stop turning? Will Snivelly Snape take a bath?"

Sirius let out a hearty guffaw and clapped James on the back. Peter, however, though he usually laughed at anything the boys said, remained quiet. This did not go without notice.

"Oh come on, Pete," James said, turning to his mousy friend. "Don't tell me that you and Janus are becoming friends with _Snivelly_ in addition to all those other Slytherin wankers!"

It was a frequent point of contestation between Sirius, James, and Peter that Peter at times associated with the fifth Gryffindor, Janus Killeffer, and his friends in Slytherin House. Remus thought there was nothing wrong with a little inter-House socialization, but the other two were not easy to convince.

"No!" Peter squeaked defensively. "He's still a slimy git."

"Then laugh at the man's joke, for Merlin's sake!" Sirius said with a smile, though he was probably only half-kidding.

"Sorry, James, I guess I didn't hear you right," Peter said as his defense, and averted his eyes.

James must have bought the excuse, though, because he grabbed his Nimbus 1001 and headed for the door, Sirius close behind. "Well, you'll get it next time. Come on down to the pitch with us!"

"Actually, I think I'm going to stay up here. I've got a bit of reading to catch up on," Peter said, again not meeting James's eyes.

"Not laughing at jokes and skipping Quidditch practice to _read_?" Sirius asked, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "Petey, have you taken a page out of Remus's Boring Book?"

This time, Peter laughed, although Remus thought it sounded a bit too forced.

But Sirius bought it. "Oh, there's our boy," he said. "See you two for dinner later, then?"

They both nodded, and the Quidditch players headed down the staircase.

"Something bothering you, Peter?" Remus asked as he pulled out some homework and a fresh quill. "It's really not like you to miss Quidditch practice."

"I know what you did," Peter responded in a voice not much louder than a whisper.

"What? What are you talking about?" Remus replied, trying to play it cool, but feeling his heart speed up.

"Earlier. At the Whomping Willow. When Davey fell onto the stick, it stopped the tree. And later, you hit the tree with the same stick, and it started again. I saw it."

If Remus ever cursed, he would have. He was faced with momentary indecision: to lie and pretend that he knew nothing about the Willow, or to confess and tell Peter about the secret knot. Well, he had already lied so much. Another one couldn't hurt...

"Uh, Pete, I have no idea what you're talking about." _Real convincing, Remus_, he thought to himself.

"Remus, I'm not stupid, even though I may seem to be. I _saw_ you hit the tree with that stick, and a split-second later, it started moving."

Peter looked Remus directly in the face until Remus looked away. It was one thing to fudge the truth a little with Sirius and James, but it was incredibly hard to lie to Peter. He had this quality that just evoked trustworthiness. Something about him made Remus feel safe spilling his secrets.

"Look," Peter continued, "I don't know _how_ you know about starting and stopping the tree, or why, but I promise I won't tell Sirius and James if you don't want me to. Just don't lie to me!"

Remus sighed. "I'm sorry, Peter. You're right: I did start the Willow. It's just... I don't really know _how _I knew to do it, but I did." Well, that was a lie. But at least he was sort of telling the truth... "I just knew that the tree might start moving again, and I wanted to make sure everyone got out of the way and started paying attention to Davey, and not to whatever ridiculous burrow Sirius and James were looking at. So I just grabbed the stick and pointed it at the tree!"

"Wow," Peter said in awe. "That was really smart of you. I wish I had thought to do something like that. I just stood by the side like a dummy."

"Peter, you were farther away from the tree than I was. And it wasn't smart, it was pretty stupid. One of us could have gotten really hurt, like Davey."

"But we didn't," he countered.

"Yeah, well let's just not talk about the stupid tree anymore. I think we should stay far away from it from now on."

"Me too," Peter said, nodding his head. He looked down at his hands, then back up a moment later. "But do you think you could stop its branches again? With the stick and all?"

"Probably not," Remus said, confused by the line of questioning. "Why?"

"Well, it's just that Sirius and James kept talking about that secret passage that they saw, and I was thinking that maybe you and I could go down there now while they're gone, and we could find it ourselves! If you could stop the tree, we'd have a really easy time finding it. And then when they got back from practice, they'd be so excited, and we could add it to The List and maybe explore it later?" Peter's round face was lit up in anticipation.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Remus said as Peter's face fell. "I mean, I looked where they were pointing, and I didn't see anything but a gap in the roots. Probably just an animal's hole. Plus, I really don't think I could stop the tree from moving again. And I honestly just don't want to go anywhere near it, not after what happened to Davey. He almost lost an eye!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Would have been cool if it had been a secret passage, though, wouldn't it?" Peter smiled.

Remus smiled, too, though it was more involuntary than genuine. _If only you knew_,he thought.

A long minute of silence passed as the two boys pondered the day's events further. It pained Remus to deny Peter such a good chance to impress Sirius and James, but he really couldn't risk it. Risk their lives. Peter would find another opportunity to show the boys what he was made of.

"OK, I'm going to head down to watch the Quidditch practice. You coming?" Peter asked a moment later as he headed for the door.

"Yeah, I'll come down in a bit. I just want to finish this homework real quick."

Peter nodded and bolted downstairs as Remus turned for the umpteenth time to his as-yet-unfinished Herbology worksheet.

The lies were not going to last much longer. He just knew it.


	14. Twelve: Confessions, Part One

**Author's Note: ** Hello, hello, dear readers! Welcome to the first part of Chapter Twelve, wherein it all comes out. Turns out Remus is a werewolf! Who knew?!?! Anyway, to those Americans in the audience, Happy Thanksgiving! And to those non-Americans, happy November! Enjoy!

**CHAPTER TWELVE:** Confessions of a Pre-Teen Werewolf Part One

Remus was walking around on pins and needles the next day. It seemed that every time he looked at Sirius and James, the two boys were deep in whispered conversation. He had no doubt they were trying to figure out the best way to go investigate the Whomping Willow to find their alleged hole. It was there, of course, and if anyone could find it, Sirius and James could. They would certainly override any of Remus's half-hearted protests.

Their secrecy, though, was entirely unnerving, for Remus was now mere hours away from transformation. If they somehow broke free and explored the passage tonight after sundown... Remus never let himself finish those thoughts. He was sinking into a mild depression rapidly, like he sometimes did around the full moon, but this time it was different. This time there were lives on the line. His condition, his lycanthropy, had only been physically harmful to himself thus far, but now he had his best friends to think about. He had to stop them from exploring the passage, or at least delay them until he was in the clear. But did that mean _telling_ them? Confessing?

Luckily for Remus it was Wednesday, a pretty busy day for the Gryffindors. Sirius and James had so far not managed to sneak out of Potions during first period or Defense Against the Dark Arts after that, and they were more than an hour into Double Transfiguration in the afternoon. Next came a chunk of free time, sure, but they had Astronomy at midnight and Remus was _positive_ neither had finished his star chart. He breathed deeply. Maybe he was in the clear. Maybe they would remain busy enough to put off their expedition for a few days...

No such luck, of course. Merely two seconds after Remus had this comforting thought, a crumpled wad of parchment landed on the table he was sharing with James. It was surely from Sirius, who was sitting at the next table over with Peter. James grinned and shot a look to the front of the room to make sure Professor McGonagall was still drawing a complicated diagram on the chalkboard. She was. He opened the note:

_Eat quick. Meet in CR at 5:30. Just enough daylight left to explore WW._

_--S_

Remus was vaguely aware of the blood draining from his face as he re-read the note. Well, that was it, then. Unless he said something, Sirius, James, and Peter would traipse down to the Whomping Willow only minutes before Madam Pomfrey led him down the passage to transform.

Hands slightly shaking, Remus tore a bit of his own parchment and scribbled a reply note, eliciting a stare from James. Remus _never_ wrote notes in class, and especially not under the hawk-like stare of Professor McGonagall. James looked on, his eyes growing wider as Remus wrote:

_No! Abort mission! Meet in SG at 5:30. I'll explain, promise._

_--R_

Remus passed the note to James, who read it again, crumpled it, and tossed it over to Sirius, who had quite the similar reaction. Only Peter seemed to accept Remus's decision. Then again, only Peter knew about Remus's odd relationship with and special knowledge of the Whomping Willow.

Sirius managed to scribble something back before McGonagall turned to face the class again:

_Meet in the Greenhouse? This must be serious. _

_(Pun, of course, NOT intended)_

_--S_

Remus nodded and turned back to his beetles, which looked decidedly unlike buttons. The Common Room would be too crowded for what he had to say. Their Secret Greenhouse, discovered at the end of first year, would be a much better choice. Not like Remus actually had _any_ idea what he was going to say. He would have roughly thirty minutes of time before he had to head to the infirmary to meet Madam Pomfrey. Certainly half an hour was _not_ sufficient time to confess one's deepest, darkest secret and gage one's friends' reactions. No, he would just somehow convince them to hold off on the Willow, wait for him while he ducked out for another mysterious absence, and then hope all would be forgiven and forgotten the next morning.

"You are sure, Mr. Black, that these buttons were originally beetles?" Professor McGonagall's voice jarred Remus's wandering mind back to the present. Sirius was nodding sweetly as she inspected his perfect black buttons. "They were not," she continued, "originally part of your shirt, perhaps? Or taken from some cache of second-year Transfiguration items?" Sirius shook his head and smiled.

"And you, Mr. Potter," she said, rounding on James. "You also swear that these buttons did not exist prior to this moment, here and now?"

"Only as beetles, Professor," he said, admiring his own handiwork.

"Very well," she replied, allowing a small smile. "Ten points to Gryffindor for you two. To the rest of you, kindly take a glimpse at Potter and Black's buttons and notice how _none_ of them have legs, wings, or antennae. And seven inches of parchment, also, on the correct process of insect-to-item Transfiguration. Due Friday. Class dismissed."

"Load of rubbish," Janus Killeffer, the fifth Gryffindor boy, muttered as they filed out of the classroom. "Peter's button had three legs and a wing and mine only had _one_ antenna, but I still have to write the full seven inches."

"Yeah, and Remus's beetles didn't look a _thing_ like buttons!" Peter squeaked, apparently thinking this was a good defense of his own misshapen button.

"Oh, seven inches isn't _that_ bad," Gwendolyn said, shoving her book into her bag. "Slughorn's making us do fifteen on that Confusion Concoction. How is that even possible?"

"Well, at least Slughorn lets _some_ of us get away with giant handwriting on his essays," James said, casting a decisive glare at Lily, who did, in fact, have slightly larger penmanship than the rest.

"Hey, that's not fair!" she responded, her mouth open in disgust. "I always add at _least_ an inch to make up for it!"

"No, you add an inch because you've memorized the Potions textbook," Sirius retorted.

"Oh, Lil, he's got a point," Gwendolyn said, smiling as Lily just shrugged.

"Well, I'm going to head to the library and get a head start on this essay. Any takers?" Lily asked.

Remus agreed, and the two of them turned off and headed down a different corridor. "See you at five-thirty!" Sirius called after Remus.

"What are you doing then?" Lily asked after the rest of the group was out of earshot. "Hopefully not going to play that horrible Whacking game?" She managed a little laugh, but Remus knew her question was in earnest. He could hear the anxiety in her voice.

"No," he smiled. "We're just... meeting. I wanted to talk to Sirius and James, and this is the only time we all have free tonight."

"Why not before Astronomy?" she asked, innocently enough.

Remus gulped. He hadn't quite settled on an excuse for this month yet. "Uh... er..." He was stalling, and she could tell. "I'm not feeling too well. I think I'm going to head to the infirmary after dinner."

Well _technically_ that wasn't even a lie, he thought. Lily even seemed to agree with him, though her words were somewhat hesitant. "Yeah, you seem a bit... preoccupied, I guess. D'you think you're coming down with something?"

Remus just nodded as they turned into the library. He didn't really want to work on his essay just then. He didn't really want to do _anything_ except think about what he would say to the boys later that evening. No, he _really_ wanted to talk to Professor Dumbledore, who had told him repeatedly that his door was always open. Knocking on that door was a different matter, however, and Remus knew that what he truly wanted to ask the headmaster might not be pleasing: "Hello, Professor? Remus Lupin here. Just wondering if it's all right for me to confess this horrible, gut-wrenching, destructive secret to my friends, potentially jeopardizing all that you have sacrificed for me to be here. Why? Oh, no reason, just that I'm _terrified_ of killing them..."

Yeah, it wasn't an enjoyable thought.

Sighing, he plopped into a chair and pulled out _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ and a fresh piece of parchment.

"OK, the proper technique for insect-to-item Transfiguration," said Lily, speaking aloud as she wrote on her parchment. "First step: concentrate."

Easier said than done...

* * *

A few hours later the boys were gathered in the Secret Greenhouse. In the few months they had known about it, it had proved immensely useful, not only as a meeting point, but also as a general hideout and hangout. Remus sometimes liked to bring his homework or a good book up when the Common Room was too distracting. Peter had started growing a few plants in salvaged pots and trays. And it was in the Greenhouse that Sirius and James had perfected Time-Release Dungbombs, among other various tricks. Finally—and most importantly, perhaps—it was the resting place of The List, the running record of all the passages and castle secrets found by the boys. It was this very List that Sirius now brandished at Remus.

"Come _on_, Remus! If it really _is_ a secret passage underneath the tree, think how exciting that is! It would be the first really cool thing to add to The List!"

"Yeah, why can't we explore it?" added James, in a bit of a whine.

Remus sighed, then smiled at his friends. "Guys, you _know_ I would never intentionally block an addition to The List. I care about it just as much as you, right?"

"Right!" exclaimed Sirius and James simultaneously.

"So you know, then," Remus continued, holding up a hand to stop their protests, "that I am not trying to be boring or a killjoy or anything. You just _really_ have to trust me on this one. Hold off on exploring the passage—if it's there—until at least tomorrow. _Please_." It wasn't a question. Remus hoped they would understand.

"Why can't you just tell us the reason now?" Sirius asked, taking a step closer. "I mean, Peter already told us that you know how to stop and start the tree! What else do you know?"

Remus shot Peter an angry glare. "Oh, Peter _told_ you, did he?" Peter just scooped dragon dung onto his Shrivelfig and looked away, a bit of pink spreading up his cheeks.

Remus ran his hand through his hair, an action that staunchly reminded him of his own father during moments of great frustration. He suddenly felt much older than his twelve-and-a-half years, but then again, he was used to that feeling. "Look, mates, I promise that if you just wait twenty-four hours, I will be the _first_ one down to that tree, torch in hand, ready to explore. Can you just give it one day?"

A brief silence passed before James spoke. "Of course, man. Do what you need to do. We'll stay away, right, Sirius?"

"Yeah, all right," Sirius said, somewhat begrudgingly. "But tomorrow afternoon, we're in for some excitement, Remus!" He flashed his trademark grin.

Remus returned the grin, though his was a bit rueful. "You can say that again."

After all, what was more exciting than hearing one of your best friends confess that he was a werewolf? For that was what he had decided to do. Twenty-four hours from now, his secret, his burden, his _anxiety_ would be gone. He would spill his dangerous secret and pray that his friends understood.

Remus was terrified.

* * *

This time, it had been incredibly painful. Remus woke up in the morning covered with a bevy of new scars. It was like his body knew. It was like _he_—the part of him that emerged during transformation—_knew_ that _he_—the normal Remus—was about to give 'them' away.

The scars were pretty bad. He even had to go to the hospital wing, something he hadn't done in a few months. He knew he was missing Double Charms, but he also knew Lily would be more than happy to fill him in. But it wasn't just the make-up work he was concerned about. New scars always meant new questions, and he wanted his big confession to go as smoothly as possible.

Just then, though, in walked the one person in the whole world that Remus wanted to see most: Albus Dumbledore. The headmaster did a wonderful job of checking in on Remus every month or so to make sure things were going smoothly and so forth. But he looked particularly concerned today as he pulled up a chair next to Remus's bed.

He smiled, eyes twinkling—as always—through his half-moon glasses. "Hello, Remus," he said calmly. "How are you feeling today?"

"OK, sir, thanks," he said, idly playing with one of his bandages.

"Seems to me like this time might have been a little rougher than usual."

"Yes sir," Remus said, not wanting to reveal just how painful it had been.

The headmaster leaned back in his chair and put his hand on his chin. "Do you have any idea _why_ that might be, Mr. Lupin?"

Remus had a _tiny_ idea, but decided not to risk it. He shook his head. "Do you, professor?"

"I'm glad you asked," said Dumbledore, his smile widening. "I do, in fact. A small theory. You see," he said, leaning forward once again, "The general public makes the mistake of characterizing werewolves as people who are overtaken by this completely strange force once a month, with no way to control it. And this is an easy misconception, no? I'm sure sometimes you feel this way."

Remus nodded. He had never really thought of it any other way, and was wondering why Dumbledore called this a 'misconception.'

"But I believe that your lycanthropy is incredibly in tune with your body and your mind. You cannot control it, perhaps, but you _can_ influence it." He paused and surveyed the damage done to Remus's face and arms. "To demonstrate: your scars this morning look particularly painful," he said, pointing at Remus's face. "Would it be incorrect of me to assume that you have been under a significant deal of stress in the past few days? Anxiety?"

"No, that's right. When Davey Gudgeon and the boys were playing near the Willow it really spooked me," Remus said, glancing to his right, where Davey Gudgeon had been recovering the day before.

"Quite understandable," Dumbledore said with a nod. "You were worried that Mr. Black and Mr. Potter would find the secret passage, no doubt?" he asked, the twinkle brightening. "Oh, don't worry about spilling their secret," Dumbledore said as Remus began to stutter a denial. "I fully endorse the thorough investigation of all potential secret passages. This castle is full of surprises. I've been here more years than I care to remember, and I constantly find new things."

"Sirius and James will find that either amazing or discouraging. Probably amazing," Remus said with a smile.

Dumbledore chuckled and glanced at his strange pocket watch. "Remus, I am afraid I cannot stay to divulge any of my castle secrets, as I'm overdue for a meeting with our newest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but I have no doubt that our excellent Madam Pomfrey will have you all mended in the briefest of minutes."

The headmaster stood up to leave and Remus gulped, realizing his chance. If he wanted to talk to Dumbledore, this was it. "Professor?" he said, sitting upright in his bed. "If you've got just one more minute, there's something I'd really like to ask to you about."

"I know, Remus," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Why do you think I came down here? I really must leave right now, but at lunch today, keep your eye on the High Table. After I finish eating, wait a minute, and then meet me in the Entrance Hall. It seems like a lot of undue secrecy and artifice, I know, but if the other students see you and I having a private meeting, they'll all assume I've put you down for Remedial Potions or am chucking you out of the school for tossing one too many Dungbombs in the caretaker's office, and we can't have that now, can we?" He winked and turned for the door.

Remus nodded and watched Dumbledore walk out of the hospital wing. He knew that while Remedial Potions probably wasn't such a bad idea for him, the _real_ reason Dumbledore was going through so much trouble was something else: people were getting suspicious. And while Dumbledore certainly knew that Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter were about as close as friends could be, he also knew that they couldn't afford any slip-ups or more awkward questions.

He looked at the small clock on his bedside table as Madam Pomfrey came over to dab more ointment onto his cuts and scrapes. It was just past ten in the morning. If he hustled, he could make it for the tail end of Charms. Then if he could just make it through History of Magic—a daunting task any day—it would be lunchtime, and all his questions would be answered.

* * *

"Well, ol' Binnsy really outdid himself today," James said as they exited the History of Magic classroom. "Who knew it was possible to turn something exciting like an interspecies war into such monotonous drivel?"

"_I_ knew," Sirius said, glancing down at his notes (which were little more than three sentences on a tiny piece of parchment). "After a year and a half of this, I've come to expect nothing less. Good thing it's time for my favorite subject: Lunch."

The rest of the Gryffindors shouted their agreements and they turned to head down to the Great Hall.

Some of Remus's favorite dishes were being served for lunch, but he didn't really feel like eating. He idly pushed his food around on his plate, stealing glances up to the High Table every few minutes. He drifted in and out of the conversation, which revolved around items in the _Daily Prophet_ that had not already been discussed at breakfast.

"This is pretty neat: Freya Sorenson, one of the only Animagi of this century, takes the form of a hawk, and is using her talent to make a documentary film about post owls."

"Booooring," Sirius said, taking a large bite of his spaghetti.

"What's an Animagi?" Lily asked, ignoring Sirius's comment.

"Animagi are witches or wizards who can turn themselves into animals. It's incredibly hard to do, and there are only a few on record throughout this whole century," Marlene responded.

"How cool would it to become an Animagus like a hawk? You could fly!" Gwendolyn said, her eyes scanning the story.

"Yeah, or you could hop on a broomstick. Like I said: boring," Sirius responded. "Now give us the Sports section, if you please."

Gwendolyn chucked the paper at Sirius. "Not much in there about Quidditch today. Big story on Quodpot, though."

Sirius groaned, and repeated himself: "Booooring."

"Oh, you're so wrong, Sirius," Artemia said as she snatched the paper away from him. "Quodpot's great. I hope they're planning on expanding the teams in Britain!"

"What's Quodpot?" Lily asked, a little embarrassed of her continued ignorance of so many magical things.

"For some reason that is absolutely beyond my ability to grasp, Americans do not like Quidditch, and prefer this other, horrendous sport," Sirius said with a great roll of his eyes.

"Stark raving mad, they are," James agreed. "Who doesn't like Quidditch?"

"That's the spirit, boys!" said Jack Daltrey, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. He was sitting a few seats down from the Gryffindor second years, and soon they were involved in a discussion of tactics.

Remus drifted out of the conversation, looked up to the High Table, and saw that Dumbledore was just standing up to leave. Remus shoveled down a few more bites of spaghetti and gulped a goblet of juice, then stood up to leave.

"Taking off so soon?" Lily asked, glancing at her watch.

"Yeah," Remus said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I wanted to check one thing in the library before Herbology, but I'll meet you all at the greenhouses."

Lily nodded and waved, and Remus made his way into the Entrance Hall, where Dumbledore was waiting for him. The old wizard smiled and gestured for Remus to follow him.

Remus had been to Dumbledore's office a few times before, but it never ceased to amaze him. It seemed like the headmaster had a new contraption or gadget every single time Remus came. It was wonderful. And normally he would have asked about them, but time was tight, and Remus had one question only, which he blurted out as soon as Dumbledore had taken his seat: "Can I tell my friends, Professor?"

"Well, let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Dumbledore said with a smile, and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry, sir. It's just been on my mind for a while."

"Perfectly understandable, Remus. I should think that the pressure of lying to them is getting to you, no?"

"Yes sir, it really is. And," he continued, noticing that his leg had started twitching like it always did when he was nervous, "I think they're starting to suspect something. Sirius and James especially. And Peter," he added as an afterthought.

"Hmm," Dumbledore said, and rested his chin on his hands. "That does not surprise me. As I alluded to earlier this morning in the infirmary, it is my belief that your lycanthropy reacts to your emotions and your habits, and manifests itself in your outward behavior. Anybody who spends a significant amount of time with you would be sure to notice these changes, and it helps that your friends are incredibly astute and inquisitive by nature."

Remus nodded as Dumbledore spoke again. "The question is, do you think they already know? It is certainly possible, especially if they have paid attention to the dates of your absences."

"I'm not sure, Professor," Remus confessed. "If they know, they haven't said anything to me. But I think I've been noticing more and more strange looks between them. It could be just my imagination, but I don't think so."

Dumbledore nodded. "And you would like to tell them?"

"I really would, sir."

"Do you think they can handle the news? It is an exceptionally serious matter, Remus, and while you have handled it with a great deal of bravery, you must not expect a similar reaction from others." Dumbledore inclined his head and leaned forward to look more closely at Remus.

Remus paused and looked down at his hands, considering what Dumbledore had just said. It was true; this was certainly a heavy matter, and would come as a shock, no matter if the boys had any suspicions or not. Could they handle it? Remus was torn. Part of him dwelled on the boys' immaturity. Part of him shouted that he was tired of lying and would tell them no matter what. Part of him reasoned that they deserved to know, regardless. But the largest part of him just _knew_ that they would understand. It was this feeling he expressed to Dumbledore: "I really do think they can handle it, sir."

Dumbledore nodded again and leaned back in his chair. "I agree, Remus. And I think you are right: they deserve to know."

Remus was surprised by this remark; he had not said anything about this feeling of his. But Dumbledore seemed to know anyway. The headmaster smiled. "Some would consider it unfair of me to ask you to lie to your friends like this. More and more I find myself agreeing with these people. However, I do not think it wise to make a public announcement. Surely not _everyone_ deserves to know?" He raised his bushy grey eyebrows.

Remus took the hint. "Yes, Professor." There were only a handful of people he would even consider telling.

"Well, it seems that this matter is all settled, then," Dumbledore said as he rose from his chair. He consulted his watch again. "And if you hurry, you'll even be able to make it to Herbology in time!"

As he grabbed his bag and headed for the door, Remus stopped. He turned to face Dumbledore. "What if..." he started, but he didn't need to finish the thought.

"What if they reject you?" Dumbledore's face remained kind, but there was a sudden gravity in his eyes. "It is possible, Remus. This is a legitimate fear, and unfortunately one that you will have to carry with you for the rest of your life. You must never forget that some people are just prejudiced, and there is nothing in the world that will make them change their minds. But," he continued, placing a hand on Remus's shoulder, "I think you and I both know that your friends thankfully do not belong to this group of people. Trust them, Remus."

"Thank you, sir," he responded as he headed for the spiral staircase that led out of Dumbledore's office. "For everything."

Dumbledore beamed down at him and said nothing in response, just squeezed Remus's shoulder and released him. Remus shifted his bag on his other shoulder and started down the stairs, feeling infinitely better about life.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	15. Twelve: Confessions, Part Two

**Author's Note: ** Hello, hello dear readers! Welcome to Part Two of Chapter Twelve, wherein it really all comes out. Please excuse the incredibly long wait between this chapter and the last; life has been beyond crazy. For those who celebrate the holiday, Merry Christmas! Happy Hannukah! Joyous Kwanzaa! Festive Festivus! And Glad Winter!

**CHAPTER TWELVE: Confessions of a Pre-Teen Werewolf Part Two**

Remus made it to Herbology just a few minutes late, and as a result was forced to partner Bertie Clyesdale, a clumsy Hufflepuff who often found himself bereft of a partner. Remus didn't really mind; they were working with Fanged Geraniums, and Remus thought perhaps it would be better not to be distracted by Sirius and James's antics like he usually was. But even the two rowdy boys seemed unusually subdued, or maybe they, too, were concentrating hard. Avoiding danger—while not often their favorite activity—seemed prudent during this particular lesson.

However, as the bell sounded and the students began to file out of the greenhouse, Remus caught up with Sirius and James. Their greeting, though friendly, was a bit tense, Remus thought, and they headed straightaway for the Quidditch pitch, even though their practice didn't start for another thirty minutes.

Remus was puzzled, and a little bit miffed. Surely, _surely_ they weren't _mad_ at him for asking them not to explore the passage? He frowned and headed up to the castle alone, not even bothering to walk with Peter, Janus, or the Gryffindor girls.

Sirius and James waited until Remus was out of earshot before they started speaking. "I think you're right, mate," James said as they approached the pitch. "Did you see the scar across his forehead? Definitely new."

"Yeah. Then again, he could just have a really violent cat we don't know about," Sirius replied, though his face indicated that he didn't believe this any more than James did. It seemed that they both had something to say, but neither wanted to go first.

They walked in silence for a minute before James spoke. "What's the date?"

"October thirteenth," Sirius responded automatically.

"And when was the last time we noticed he was gone?" James asked, his voice rising slightly, though he was trying to stay casual.

"'Bout a month ago, why?" Sirius replied, looking at James out of the corner of his eye.

"Was it just _about_ a month ago? Or was it—"

"_Actually_ a month ago?" Sirius finished, his eyebrows shooting up.

"It was! It was the second week of school, because Quidditch practice had just started. Sirius, do you know what this means?" James turned suddenly and grabbed Sirius on the arm.

"Course I do! You think so, too? Blimey, if that's true..."

"Then everything makes sense!"

"But it _can't_ be true, right?"

"I know. You think someone would have told us."

"Or not. I mean, _I_ wouldn't necessarily tell, would you?"

Their words were coming so fast, it was hard to tell who said what. They continued debating for a minute before each looked up, straight up to the sky.

James looked down first. "Not dark yet."

Sirius shook his head. "But sunset..."

"Yesterday, in the Greenhouse."

"And then he was gone at night."

"Of course!"

The boys kept looking at each other, mouths agape, before they noticed a third person starting at them. It was Michael McKinnon, the Gryffindor Seeker. "You two practicing a ventriloquist act or something?" He laughed.

Sirius and James both chuckled nervously, though neither could think of a thing to say. Michael raised one eyebrow and shook his head. "Finishing each other's sentences. Do you share a bed, too?"

"Only on the weekends," Sirius responded with a wink.

Michael grinned and headed for the changing rooms. "See you on the pitch."

Sirius and James held back for a bit, but soon started walking again. "You don't think he heard anything, do you?" James asked.

"Well, he probably heard, but didn't understand. We weren't making much sense to the untrained ear."

"Good point. Anyway, should we tell Remus we know?" James looked worried.

"Let's just let him take the lead, and we'll go from there."

"Agreed," James said with a nod of his head. There was another brief silence before James spoke again, softer this time. "Crazy, isn't it?"

"Mad. Absolutely mad."

* * *

Remus was pacing. It was 5:25; the boys were due in the Greenhouse in five minutes. Normally Remus felt relieved the day after transformation. Today was not a normal day. He sat on a stool and looked out the windows. The sky was clear and the sun was setting fast. Dusk was Remus's favorite time of day. He liked how calm everything seemed, all bathed in that soft orange light. It was autumn, too: not yet really cold, but just chilly enough for sweaters. And the Greenhouse was the perfect place to watch sunsets, having three walls and a ceiling made entirely of glass.

Yesterday, though, he had hated the sunset. He had been mere minutes away from transforming and preoccupied with a number of things. Today, however, his preoccupation was limited to three people, and he heard them traipse up the stairs.

As the boys opened the door and came into the room, Remus was struck by how somber James and Sirius looked. He was gripped by a sudden panic. Something was not right. Did they know? They were going to hate him. They already _did_ hate him. _What was wrong?_

He took deep, steadying breaths and tried not to let his nervousness show. Thankfully, Peter was in a particularly exuberant mood and was first to break the silence. "What's the big secret, mate?" he asked, walking over to check on his plants. He giggled to himself, but Remus ignored him.

"This is going to be hard, so just bear with me, OK?" he asked, looking to Sirius and James.

James nodded, but Sirius blurted out: "We know the secret!"

James hit Sirius on the arm and sent him an intense glare as Peter exclaimed, "Yeah, we know!"

Sirius was about to glare back at James, but whipped his head around and looked at Peter. "What?"

"Yeah, what?" echoed James.

"Yeah, _what_?" repeated Remus.

"Oh come on, it's so _obvious_!" Peter exclaimed, waving his trowel in the air.

The three other boys shared a look of utter bewilderment.

"Remus, are you or are you not—"

Remus felt his breath catch somewhere in his throat as Peter took a dramatic pause.

"—an undercover MI6 agent for British intelligence?"

It was so quiet you could almost hear the plants grow. Remus didn't know whether to be relieved, angry, or amused, so he settled for no reaction. Sirius and James, however, both turned on Peter.

Upon seeing their looks of confusion, Remus helped his friend: "Guys, an MI6 agent is a spy for the Muggle government. There are these Muggle films about an agent named James Bond and..." He trailed off.

Peter was laughing at his own joke, and Sirius gave a bit of a smile. "Good one, Pete."

James groaned, though. "Come on, Pete, be serious!"

"I don't want to be Sirius, I want to be _Peter_!" he exclaimed, sending himself into another fit of laughter.

Now Sirius groaned. "That's it; I'm changing my name."

Peter was taking big breaths to keep from choking on his chuckles. "OK, OK, I'm sorry. Remus isn't a secret agent—we don't think. So what's the real deal?" He wiped a tiny tear from his eye.

Remus took another deep breath and felt his right leg start to twitch involuntarily. This was it. He was just going to say it. Get it out there. He squinted his eyes shut as if bracing for an impact. "I'mawerewolf," he spurted.

"I knew it!"

"We were right!"

"WHAT?"

Remus opened one eye hesitantly and tried to match the three exclamations with their owners. James and Sirius looked triumphant. Peter looked... scared? Remus wasn't sure.

He felt his head spinning. It was out there. Not, perhaps, the reactions he was expecting but hey, they weren't attacking him with garden trowels, which was a start. "You two knew?" he asked, pointing at Sirius and James. They both nodded.

"And you didn't tell me?" Peter exclaimed, looking hurt.

James turned to him and put one hand on his chest. "Honestly, Pete, we just worked it out today before Quidditch practice. If it had been any earlier, we would have told you. Honestly." He looked and sounded genuinely apologetic, and Peter must have accepted it, for he nodded.

"So when did this happen?" Sirius asked. He sounded quite calm.

"When I was six. We were living in the country, and—" Remus stopped. He hated talking about that fateful day. The pain still seemed so fresh in his mind. It was the only time in his life he had cried. It was agony.

"Do you know who bit you?" James asked.

Remus nodded, but didn't say anything. _Fenrir Greyback_. He shuddered involuntarily, and the boys must have realized that he didn't want to rehash that particular memory at all.

Sirius and James shot forth a long string of questions, trying to change the subject. Well, as much as it could be changed.

"Who here knows?"

"How do you manage the transformations?"

"Does it hurt?"

"Do you eat raw meat?"

"Is that why you have such big canine teeth?"

"Is that why your hair is even messier than James's?"

"Is that why you sometimes lie worse than Sirius?"

"Hey, I'm a good liar!"

Remus felt the first true wave of relief pass over him. They weren't afraid. They weren't going to reject him. They weren't even being very serious about the whole matter. He should have known. He grinned. "Well, that's a lot of questions, boys. I'll go in order. Dumbledore knows, and all the teachers, too, but not any other students, unless they've figured it out."

"Not even Lily?" James interjected, warranting a punch on the arm from Sirius.

"Your girlfriend doesn't know _everything_, James," he said.

"She's not my girlfriend, wanker," James responded, looking put-out.

"Will you let the man—well, the _wolf_-man finish, you hopeless git?" Sirius said with mock annoyance that was betrayed by his giant smile.

"OK," Remus said. "So Dumbledore and the professors know. I manage the transformations by sneaking down that passage underneath the Whomping Willow and holing up in the shack near Hogsmeade," Remus said, continuing as looks of comprehension registered on the boys' faces. "It hurts like hell. Every time. I do like my meat a bit on the rare side, yes, and I didn't really think I had abnormally large canines, but I suppose I do. After that, you guys got a bit silly, so I don't remember the questions, but feel free to ask them again."

"_You're_ the Shrieker?" Sirius asked, his face a mix of pity and pride, which sharply reminded Remus of his parents.

"Yes. I am the reason it is called the Shrieking Shack. I'm not particularly proud of that, though," he said reproachfully.

"No, of course not," Sirius responded quickly, rearranging his face so as not to reflect pride in his friend for scaring such vast quantities of people.

"Wow," James breathed.

"Yeah, I know," Remus said, laughing out loud. "I can't _tell_ you how good it feels to have this off my chest."

"Your hairy werewolf chest?" James asked with a grin.

Remus laughed again. "Yes, my hairy werewolf chest." He turned to Peter. "You've been pretty quiet, Pete. What are you thinking?"

Peter just shook his head. "I'm sorry, Remus. It's just a lot to take in."

"I understand. Take your time. I'm not expecting everybody to just accept it and move on."

Peter nodded and gulped. He opened his mouth as if about to speak, but then shut it again.

"What?" Remus prodded. "Seriously, ask me anything you like. I'm sure you have questions."

Peter paused, then spoke. His voice was very quiet, and he seemed far away. "Have you ever bitten anyone?" He didn't meet Remus's eyes.

Remus shook his head. "No."

The playful mood soon evaporated as everybody finally realized the full implications of Remus's confession. He was a werewolf. He was _dangerous_. More dangerous than any daring prank or silly game.

The sun was almost lost behind the horizon as the four boys sat in silence. Remus wasn't sure what to say, so he just watched the sunset.

A few minutes later only the hazy remnants of sunlight remained. The Greenhouse was bathed in an almost eerie glow. Nobody bothered to light his wand. Somehow the light seemed fitting.

"Well," said Sirius, breaking the prolonged silence. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, I have some essays to finish up, but if you want to go to dinner first..." Remus began.

"No, you silly twit. I _meant_ what are we going to do about this? About you?"

Remus was confused. "I'm not sure what you mean, Sirius. There's not really anything you can do. There's no cure, after all."

"Yeah, but we can't let you transform and go through all that pain and sit in that God-forsaken shack all by yourself now, can we?" James chimed in.

Peter made a little squeak and appeared to be trembling. Remus pointed to him. "See that? That is how you _should_ feel. Are you crazy? You want to be in the Shrieking Shack with a full-fledged werewolf?" Perhaps the boys hadn't grasped the situation as well as Remus had thought...

"Remus, you're our best mate. This is a huge part of your life, so it's a huge part of our lives, too," James said, Sirius nodding vehemently beside him.

Remus was overwhelmed by their compassion, but felt at a loss for words. He just nodded, and willed himself not to cry. Though he was clearly not a generally weepy person, something about James's words made a lump well up in his throat.

"What if—and bear with me on this one—" Sirius began. "What if there were a bunch of _real_ wolves in the hut with us? Maybe they would calm you down, or distract you, or something?"

"OK, now you want to put us in a tiny room with a werewolf and a bunch of _real_ wolves? Are you off your rocker?" James exclaimed. Peter was visibly shaking now, though he managed to smile.

"Maybe if there were normal animals in the room?" Peter said timidly. "Harmless animals, I mean. Do you hurt them?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't think so, no. Smaller animals, maybe, but not big ones unless they attack me."

"OK, well that's a start. Good thinking, Peter," James said. Peter beamed, though his face was still white as a sheet.

"All right, so all we need to do is round up a herd of animals every twenty-eight days or so, lead them into the Shrieking Shack, and hope that they calm wolf-man down enough so he doesn't attack us. Good plan, mates, good plan." Sirius was now pacing around the room, hands clasped behind his back.

James rocked back on his stool, perilously close to toppling over. "If only _we_ were animals, then we could command them or something," he said with a laugh, then suddenly rocked his stool completely forward. "Wait a second—what was Gwendolyn talking about today at lunch?"

"Quodpot?" Peter ventured.

"Yes!" Sirius shouted, locking eyes with James.

"But that's just crazy. It would _never_ work," James responded, speaking only to Sirius.

"Why not?" Sirius fired back, eyes ablaze in the ever-dimming light.

"Because we're _twelve_ years old!" James said, hopping off his chair.

"Well, I'm almost thirteen, but I guess that's beside the point," Sirius countered.

"Are they still talking about Quodpot?" Peter asked Remus.

Remus shook his head. "I don't think so, Pete." Sirius and James had recently developed the habit of speaking in rapid-fire, fragmented sentences only they could fully understand. It was a bit exhausting to follow said conversations, and Remus was trying his hardest to catch up to this one. What _else _had Gwendolyn said at lunch today? He hadn't really been paying attention. She had mentioned her brother, asked about Quidditch practice, pulled out the _Daily Prophet_... Remus's head shot up as it dawned on him. "You have _got_ to be kidding me," he said to Sirius, interrupting him mid-dialogue.

"It's not impossible, Remus," Sirius said, an almost maniacal grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

"James?" Remus asked. James was usually the voice of reason. Granted, that wasn't saying much.

James hesitated, and Remus could tell Sirius had won him over. "Well, we _are_ pretty good at Transfiguration..."

"OK, you're _definitely_ not talking about Quodpot. What is going on?" Peter demanded. He didn't look angry, just curious.

"Pete, you were on the right track with that comment about animals," Sirius said, turning to Peter.

"I was?"

"Yeah. Except _we_ are going to be the animals," James said, now looking almost as exhilarated as Sirius.

It took Peter a moment to register what they had said. Then his eyes popped nearly out of his head. "_Animagi_?" He almost shouted the word. Sirius and James nodded feverishly.

"Think about it, Peter!" Sirius said. "If we start working on the spells now, we could probably have them mastered in a few months, no sweat. And then we can be with Remus when he transforms!"

"Yeah, but..." Peter started, clearly trying to think of excuses.

"But what? No buts!" James cried. "It's the perfect solution!"

"I guess, but don't you think it's going to be really, _really_ hard?" He sounded cautious, but his face betrayed his excitement. "I mean, didn't Gwendolyn say there were only a few Animagi this century?"

"Well yeah, but that's probably because nobody really bothered with trying," Sirius answered.

Remus gave a snort. "I doubt that very much, my friend."

"Yeah OK, but we're _definitely_ talented enough to try it. And I bet we can do it, too."

"Yeah, definitely," agreed James.

Nobody said anything for a minute. It was now almost completely dark. Sirius lit his wand and stuck it in a pot of soil. He grabbed the other three wands, lit each, and stuck them in as well. They cast eerie shadows throughout the room, and Remus felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine. "Right here, right now," Sirius said to the three boys. "Let's swear it." He looked a bit like a madman in the strange half-light.

"What, like an Unbreakable Vow?" James asked, looking worried for the first time all night.

"No, you idiot." Sirius rolled his eyes. "Just a simple statement of purpose. A 'we solemnly swear, on this, the thirteenth day of October, blah blah blah' kind of thing. I'll start. You just repeat after me."

"Do I have to, also?" Remus asked. "I mean, my transformation is pretty much set."

"No, but you can if you want. That will make it all the more important." Sirius grinned and grabbed James's and Peter's hands. Soon they were all four gripping hands in a circle around the center table.

"I feel incredibly stupid right now, just to let you know," James said.

Sirius ignored him. "We solemnly swear," he started.

Remus stifled a laugh, and Sirius glared at him. "Repeat it!"

"We solemnly swear," the three boys dutifully repeated.

"On this, the thirteenth day of October, 1972," Sirius continued.

"On this, the thirteenth day of October, 1972."

"To devote ourselves, body, mind, and soul, to becoming Animagi to help our dear friend and wolf-man, Remus Lupin," Sirius said with a conclusive nod.

"To devote ourselves, body, mind, and soul, to becoming Animagi to help our dear friend and wolf-man, Remus Lupin."

Remus fought the urge to squeeze the hands he was holding, for he thought, perhaps, that this would not be seen as the most macho of moves. He was immensely proud, though. Of himself, sure, but especially of his friends. He smiled.

"Can I let go of your hand now, mate?" James asked, opening his eyes—apparently he had closed them during the "ceremony."

Sirius laughed. "Yeah. That's all done now. And I even promise not to tell Lily you were holding Remus's hand."

James punched him on the arm again.

"How are we going to work on this project?" Peter asked, now fully on board. "With classes and everything?"

"We'll figure it out," Sirius said reassuringly. "This is the most important thing we'll ever do."

"Agreed," said James.

"Here, here!" said Peter.

"Now let's go eat, I'm starved. _Nox_," Sirius said, and tossed every boy back his wand.

Remus was glad they were bathed in the sudden darkness. For only the second time in his life, he was crying.


	16. Thirteen: Snapshots of a Year

**Author's Note:** Hello hello, dear readers! Happy new year! Not much to say about this chapter except again, it's a "Snapshots," so it's jumping us forward in time so you don't have to trudge through eighteen chapters about the gang going to History of Magic. :) As always, feel free to leave a review, or email/IM me (info on profile page)!! I love to hear from you all. And shout-out to the betas! You know who you are...

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN:** **Snapshots of a Year**

**October 30th, 1972**

"ARGH! I am _really_ at the end of my rope here," Lily exclaimed as she slammed her Transfiguration book shut. "I already have extra inches in Herbology for killing my Puffer Plant, and now Professor McGonagall assigns me an additional essay because I can't transfigure the bloody beetle, or button, or whatever the heck it is."

"Gee, Lily, what happened to you? You used to be so smart," Gwendolyn intoned sarcastically as she peered across the table from over her own mountain of homework.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't complain," Lily said meekly as her shoulders sagged. "I know we all have a ton of work to do."

"Literally," Gwendolyn added.

"It's just so hard to concentrate right now, you know? With all the preparations for Halloween."

The Gryffindors were sitting in the Great Hall, trying their hardest to make the most of the evening. But all anyone could think about was Halloween the next day, and the exciting surprises the castle always held. And the feast! Oh, the feast...

"I don't know why they insist on making such a fuss about my birthday, but really, you can't blame them for wanting to celebrate glorious me," Sirius said with a grin. His birthday was indeed on Halloween, and he had made this joke two years running. He was sitting next to Gwendolyn, and as he said this, she rolled her eyes.

"Sirius, I hate to tell you this, but someone had to: the world, contrary to popular belief, does _not_ revolve around you. Trust me. You can even check your Astronomy textbook." She pointed to his open copy of _Stars, Planets, and Other Celestial Bodies._

He frowned and shut his textbook to look at the cover. "I disagree with you, dear Gwennie, and so does your very own evidence against me."

She raised her eyebrows in challenge. "Oh it _does_, does it?"

"Yes. See, this book _is_ about me, it says so right here: Stars, Planets, and _Other Celestial Bodies_. I am, after all, a celestial body. You can't argue with fact."

Gwendolyn laughed and gave Sirius a little shove on the shoulder. He just smiled back at her, and Lily thought she saw the slightest blush creep up "dear Gwennie's" cheeks. She, Lily, found herself glancing over at James for some reason unknown to her, but returned quickly to her own work as she found him staring right back.

Just then, Remus took his seat next to Lily. He nodded a greeting to everyone, then took his Transfiguration book out of his bag.

"Hey, wolf-man," Sirius said, barely looking up from his work. At these words, James choked on the sip of water he was taking, and Remus went incredibly white.

Artemia, sitting next to Sirius, laughed. "Wolf-man? Why did you call him that?"

Sirius looked up abruptly from his book, caught the glances from Remus and James, and blinked a few times. He seemed to have been caught completely off guard. "Oh," he started, the color draining from his cheeks now. "I call him wolf-man because he..."

"—snores really loud," James finished, sending dagger eyes at Sirius.

"Sorry, mate; didn't want to expose your secret," Sirius said, looking apologetically at Remus.

Remus seemed to have regained some of the color in his own face, and he shrugged good-naturedly. "It's all right, Sirius. They would probably have found out eventually."

For some reason, this gave Sirius a good laugh, and he chuckled sporadically for the next few minutes. James sent a few lingering glances at his giggling friend, then settled back into his work.

Lily hardly paid attention to the exchange; the boys were known for discussing the most random things. She sighed as she looked over to what Remus was working on. "Oh, you got the extra Transfiguration homework, too?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "It'll be good practice."

"You're so calm about it!" she exclaimed. "You should have seen me just a few minutes ago; I think I had a little nervous breakdown."

He just smiled. "Not really anything I can do about it, is there?"

"No, I guess you're right. But don't you ever just want to, I don't know, shriek and holler and rage about?"

This sent Sirius into another fit of giggles, and got him more looks from James and Remus. He snorted an apology and once again buried his nose in his book. Lily noticed that James was also smiling, though, as he exchanged a glance with Peter.

"Sure I do, Lil," Remus responded. "But I let out my anger in other ways," he said with a wry smile.

Lily wasn't sure at all what he meant, but she didn't have time to respond before Sirius let out yet _another_ loud guffaw.

Gwendolyn slammed her book shut and turned to Sirius. "All right, mate, let's have it: what are you laughing at? Share with the rest, or go get your chuckles out somewhere else."

"Aww, I'm sorry, Gwennie," he said, gathering up his things. "I didn't mean to disturb your doodling." He pointed at Gwendolyn's parchment which was, in fact, covered in squiggles and lines.

She blushed (definitely this time) and shoved the parchment under her book. "Fair point. Now skive off," she said, wrinkling her nose playfully as Sirius stood from the table.

"Love to," he said. "Well, chaps, I'm off to go count down the seconds until I turn the big one-three. Feel free to deliver my presents at the stroke of midnight; I'll be in my room."

"Oh, you were expecting presents?" Gwendolyn asked, directing her one last shot at his retreating form.

He turned around. "Don't even joke about that."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she responded, winking across the table at Lily. Lily knew for a fact that Gwendolyn had a very nice present for Sirius, actually. Lily and the boys had gone in for a nice gift certificate to Zonko's in Hogsmeade, but Gwendolyn had opted not to join in their gift, insisting she had something else. Lily didn't know what it was, but was sure it was very special.

However, she didn't really have time to contemplate the possibilities. She flipped open her Transfiguration book, and tried her best to memorize the chart she found staring back at her.

As she copied down the chart, she resisted the urge to let out another "ARGH!"

* * *

**October 31st, 1972**

"Did you see what Gwendolyn got Sirius for his birthday?" Lily asked Remus as the two of them sat in the courtyard. They had a few hours to kill between the end of afternoon classes and the beginning of the Halloween feast, and although it was more than a little cold outside, they had decided to take a walk.

Remus shook his head as he pulled his slightly tattered coat tighter around his body.

"A Quaffle signed by Nigel Wrenn," she said, pulling her hat down slightly to cover her ears.

"Are you serious? How did she get that?"

"I guess he was at one of Professor Slughorn's parties, and her brother Chadwick always goes to those, so he asked him to sign a Quaffle!"

"Does Wrenn just carry Quaffles around with him?" Remus asked with a laugh.

"Would that really surprise you?" she responded with a grin. Nigel Wrenn was an incredibly talented and therefore incredibly cocky professional Quidditch player.

"Gosh," Remus sighed. "He is _so_ good. You know he's a lock for Chaser on the National Team for the Cup in two years."

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. A lot of people are predicting the British side will be worse than the 1868 National Team, and _that's _saying something."

"_Wow_," Remus said appreciatively and raised his eyebrows. "Someone's been reading up on her Quidditch!"

Lily smiled and watched her breath condense in the frigid air. "Well, it's kind of hard _not_ to when that's all James ever talks about," she said through her grin. "And Sirius and Gwendolyn, too," she added hastily.

Remus nodded and fiddled with a hole in the thumb of his glove. For a long moment, neither one spoke. While this would have made Lily feel awkward had she been with James, Sirius, Peter, or even Gwendolyn, with Remus silence was never weird. But there was something different about today. Lily couldn't quite put her finger on it, but Remus was acting strange. Maybe he was just restless and excited for the Halloween Feast. Or maybe it was something else...

As if he could read her mind, Remus spoke. "Lily," he began, his eyes still pointed down, "I have something to tell you."

She didn't know why, but Lily was suddenly gripped by a powerful feeling of nervousness. "What's up?" she asked, trying to remain calm as she turned to face him and scooted herself a bit forward on the cold stone bench.

He didn't speak again, and Lily thought that if he fiddled with the glove anymore, he'd just tear the thumb completely off. And she noticed his leg had started twitching, a sure sign that something was on his mind.

"Remus?" she prodded gently. Whatever it was he had to say—and it seemed like something big—she felt like she might have to coax it out of him.

"You want to take a walk?" he asked, hopping up from the bench.

"Well, we just came from a walk," she responded, nodding in the general direction of their path.

"Oh, right," said Remus, moving to sit down again.

"But let's go again," Lily said with a smile. "I'm starting to lose feeling in my legs anyway."

He gave a small smile and they moved in tandem back out to the grounds. Lily decided to give Remus some time, and didn't push him to reveal whatever he had to say. But just when he finally opened his mouth to speak, they heard a familiar voice from behind: "Lily, that was a great Potions lesson this morning, don't you think?"

Lily groaned inwardly, but turned around and smiled at Gaspard Shingleton, a Ravenclaw boy who was often Lily's partner in Potions. "Hey, Gaspard. Yeah, it was pretty fun," she obliged.

He had now caught up with them. "I just wanted to see if I could secure your partnership for the next class. I talked to Professor Slughorn, and he assured me that the next potion would be quite difficult. I'll need the best partner I can get if I want to be the first one done again!" He puffed out his chest with pride, reminiscent, in fact, of their Potions Professor himself.

Lily blushed at the praise, though a large part of her wanted to laugh at the way Gaspard gave said compliment. "Thank you, Gaspard, that really means a lot. And yes, I'd be honored to be your partner."

"Spiffing. Absolutely spiffing. Well, I'll let you get back to your walk. _Au revoir_, Lily. Goodbye, Remus," he said as he turned on his heel, gave a little salute, and headed back up to the castle.

Remus and Lily both waved, and as soon as he was out of earshot broke into laughter. "You know, he may be a bit pompous, but he really is good at Potions," Lily said as they continued their stroll.

Remus just nodded, and Lily was a little surprised at his silence. Normally the boys could always find something to say about Shingleton. This was disconcerting. She decided to pick up their previous train of conversation. "So, you had something to tell me?"

He nodded again, still silent. The grass was brown and dead beneath their feet, and for a moment Lily could hear nothing but the crunching of their boots on the ground and the wind whistling through the trees. She looked up and realized they had meandered dangerously close to the Whomping Willow. "Oh, this tree gives me the willies. Let's head closer to the lake," she suggested.

Again, Remus said nothing, but turned slightly. He stuck his hands deep in his pockets. "I don't know why this is so difficult," he said. "I told the boys just fine."

Lily was beginning to get an inkling of what he had to say. Was he about to explain his "mysterious absences"? She prodded him again. "Remus, you know you can tell me anything. Out with it then, come on!"

"I'm a werewolf."

Lily stopped in her tracks and felt her breath catch in her chest. Did he just say... She shook her head, trying to think of something to say, but no words came. What was she supposed to say?

As if he could read her mind, he spoke. "I know that you probably don't know what to say right now. That's to be expected. I mean, it's not everyday you meet a werewolf, right? I'm sorry it just came out like that, and I'm sorry to burden you with the knowledge. And if you don't want to talk to me right now, I understand." He gave a little smile.

As Lily looked at his face, she was moved beyond words. Here he was, a twelve-year old boy with this incredibly huge burden, and he still had the generosity to _apologize_ to her. Tears started to pool in the corners of her eyes. She wasn't sure why, but the only thing she could think to do was envelop Remus in a giant hug, which she did.

He seemed a bit startled at first—Remus was not really the hugging type—but as Lily wrapped her arms tighter around him, she felt him relax into the embrace. "Well," he said, his voice muffled by her shoulder, "this is certainly a different reaction than I got from the boys."

For some reason this made Lily cry even harder, though her tears were now mingled with laughter. She didn't want to let go, but she had questions. "Are you all right?" she asked, still clinging to his back.

"Yes. I'm suffocating a bit right now, but on the whole I'm great."

She immediately released him and took a step back. "I'm sorry for the hug," she apologized. "It was the first thing I thought of. Don't really know why," she laughed a bit and wiped away her tears on the rough wool of her coat sleeve. She sniffled, and the two of them just stood in the cold, neither knowing what to do next.

"When did this happen?" Lily finally thought of another question.

"When I was young. My parents and I lived in the country, and my dad..." He trailed off, and Lily realized that maybe this was not the best line of questioning.

"It's not important," she said, giving him a little wave.

"No. I want to tell you," he said resolutely. "I couldn't tell the boys yesterday. I don't know why. But it's good to talk about it. I have every reason to be angry, so I just need to let it out."

Lily nodded vehemently and Remus continued. "I was six. There was a wizard who lived near us named..." He paused, and cleared his throat, but when he spoke again, his voice trembled. "His name was Fenrir Greyback. And he and my dad got into a huge argument, about what I don't know. I was too young to understand, and I haven't really talked to my dad about it since." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Anyway, one night I was walking home from my friend's house, and he just... he just came out of nowhere. It was horrible. We had no idea he was a werewolf... We didn't know, we just didn't know... I didn't see him coming, he just jumped and..." Remus's breath was coming in short gasps now, and he was shaking all over.

Lily watched as the blood drained from his face, and she was suddenly frightened. "Remus! Remus, you don't have to talk about it. Just take deep breaths!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "It's OK."

Little by little he stopped shaking and the color returned to his face, but he bowed his head. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I thought I was ready to talk about it, but I guess not."

"It's OK," she repeated. "One day you can tell me the whole story."

He nodded bravely and said, "Please don't tell the boys his name. They'd probably hatch some stupid plan of revenge and then we'd all wind up werewolves."

Lily smiled. It was probably true. "Of course." She hadn't taken her hands of his shoulders yet, and Remus still stood with his head bowed. It was only then that she realized how _huge_ this news was. Every month for the rest of his life, Remus Lupin would transform into an animal, an animal with no human mercy, no human kindness, no human traits of any kind. He was capable of _killing_ things, and he was only twelve years old. Lily shuddered. She wasn't afraid of him, but she was suddenly aware that maybe she _should_ be.

Before she could voice her concerns, though, Remus lifted his head and looked straight into her eyes. "Thank you, Lily," he said.

She nodded, and felt a knot tighten in her throat. She bit her lip to keep from crying again, but she couldn't stop the tears that spilled from her eyes. "I'm sorry I keep whimpering like a baby," she said.

"It's OK." He laughed. "But toughen up or I'll bite you!"

Lily laughed, though she hoped he couldn't tell that she was more than a bit nervous.

"Sorry," he said, shaking his head ruefully and smiling. "That was a bad joke."

"Yeah, it was." She smiled, too, and without another word, they moved back up to the castle.

* * *

**November 10th, 1972**

"Great match yesterday, boys," Gwendolyn said as the Gryffindors sat at breakfast one Sunday morning. Sirius, James, and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team had routed Hufflepuff 200-50.

"Yeah, we were pretty splendid, weren't we?" Sirius asked as he stuffed his mouth full of sausage.

"And ever so modest," Gwendolyn replied dryly. Sirius shrugged and poured himself a goblet of juice.

"So what's in the news, Lily?" Peter asked as a mail owl delivered Lily's copy of the _Daily Prophet_. It had become something of a ritual for them to go over the news every morning, and especially on Sunday when the _Prophet_ did more in-depth stories.

"Yeah, Lil, give us the scoop," Remus said from next to her. Lily knew he was transforming tomorrow—his first transformation since he had told her and the boys. She had paid particular attention to him for the past few days, and was astounded at the changes he went through. His hair, his teeth, his attitude—how could she have missed them before? He scratched the side of his head—another werewolfy trend she had noticed—and Lily stole a glance at James, who smiled back. It was, for some reason, very comforting to her knowing that she shared this secret with the boys. Granted, it was an incredible secret to share, but the fact that they all had this little bond... it made her feel special. She smiled and grabbed the paper.

"OK, front page stories," she said, getting ready to discuss the lead item, an ongoing report of scandal in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.

"Come on, give us the sports first," Sirius begged. "At least tell me if Wrenn and his incredible Magpies beat the tar out of Gwendolyn's Choking Cannons, like we all expected them to."

Gwendolyn tossed a bit of biscuit sideways at Sirius. "Stuff it about the Cannons. We'll bounce back, just you wait." She didn't sound too sure, though.

Lily just shook her head. She should have learned by now that certain members of the group cared less about the inner workings of the Ministry of Magic and more about the inner workings of Quiddtich practices. But she dutifully flipped to the sports section and read aloud: "After being thoroughly trounced 240 to 10 by the Montrose Magpies—sorry, Gwendolyn—the Chudley Cannons hereby announce that they are making some changes to the organization."

"Oh, this will be great!" Gwendolyn said hopefully.

Lily continued: "First and foremost, the Cannons officially change their motto from 'We shall conquer' to 'Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.' Ouch!" she exclaimed, peering over the top of the paper to look at Gwendolyn.

Gwendolyn groaned. "No. No, please don't go on. I can't take any more torture! Read the front page, read the front page." She waved one hand at Lily and rested her head on the other. Sirius, sitting next to her, was in fits.

Lily smiled and was turning back to page one, all prepared to update the group on the Ministry scandal when something else caught her eye. "Ooh, listen to this," she cried, leaning forward a bit on the bench. "'Disappearances in the Ministry go Unexplained,' by Patricia Caruthers. Ministry officials released a statement today confirming reports that two members of the Department of Mysteries and two members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement have gone missing. Their identities have not been revealed by the Ministry, but current rumors are naming Marcus Travers and Leopold Seepe from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Thornton Blatchley and Medea Macnair from the Department of Mysteries. Sources close to the missing persons almost unanimously report odd behavior over the past few weeks, but no one so far has been able to give explanations for the disappearances. Ministry officials refused comment on this story, leading readers to decide for themselves whether these strange occurrences are linked to the recent scandal in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes or to some other, unknown source. For more coverage of the aforementioned scandal, kindly turn to page A1." Lily stopped reading and looked up at her friends. "Crazy, isn't it? All these disappearances happening at one time?"

"That is strange," James said. "The article doesn't say anything else?"

"Nope. That was it," Lily responded.

"Do you think they're connected to that guy who disappeared six months ago?" Gwendolyn asked.

"Probably!" Lily said. The previous May a man from the Department of Magical Transportation had briefly gone missing.

Remus, however, shook his head. "I don't know. Remember that guy came back after a few days and said he just wanted a break from the office. This time it's _four _people all going missing at the same time. _That's_ what's weird about the whole thing."

"Does the article say anything about when they went missing, or why?" James asked.

"James, I just read you the whole article. There's nothing else," Lily said.

"Maybe it had something to do with that Lord Voldemort guy! Remember, the one who was linked to those murders last spring? And last December?" Marlene said from her seat on the other side of Remus.

"Yes! I had completely forgotten about him," said James. "Did the article mention him at all?"

"No!" Lily said exasperatedly. "Seriously! I _just_ read you the _whole_ article."

"We haven't heard anything about him for a while, though," said Remus. "I thought _he_ had disappeared."

"Well, we shouldn't jump to any conclusions, I guess," said Lily thoughtfully. "The article doesn't even mention him as a suspect at all."

"Oy!" said Sirius, finally joining the conversation. "Give us that bit about the Cannons again."

Lily turned to him. "You don't care about this at all?"

"It's not that I don't care, it's just that—as you have made so exceptionally clear for James—the article doesn't say anything else. So why speculate?" He shrugged and dove into his fourth helping of sausage.

"Much as I hate to admit it, he _does_ have a point, Lily," said Gwendolyn. "Although I really don't want to hear about the Cannons again."

Lily let out a slow sigh. "Yeah, I guess you're both right. Want to hear the latest developments in the Ministry scandal, then?"

A few people nodded, so Lily propped the newspaper up on her goblet and began reading again, thoughts of the missing persons pushed to the back of her mind.


	17. Fourteen: Another Year Gone

**Author's Note: ** I'm free from the tyranny of exams! Hooray! I hope you enjoy this chapter, wherein our good friends fret over classes for next year, witness increased tension between James and Lily, and reflect on the imminent completion of another year at Hogwarts. Many thanks to the wonderful and talented Nielawen for her beta, and happy reading!

** CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Another Year Gone**

It was a cloudy spring day and the Gryffindors were huddled in the Common Room. Nobody really felt like working, but it seemed like nobody really felt like talking either, so an unusual silence lingered in the air. Sirius was lying horizontally across an armchair and flipping lazily through a magazine while Gwendolyn was writing a letter to her parents. Remus was reading, James seemed to be napping, and Lily was staring idly into space. Sure, they all had stacks of homework to do, but clearly no motivation.

"Where's Peter?" James asked, abruptly jerking awake and breaking the silence.

"I think he and Janus were hanging out with Jack Bobbin and Mark Hughes," Remus answered, not bothering to look up from his book.

"Oh, the _Slytherins_," James said, his voice full of disdain.

"Give it a rest, James," Gwendolyn said, still focused on her letter. "Jack and Mark are perfectly nice."

"Yeah, it's the rest of them we're worried about," Sirius said, tossing his magazine to the ground and leaning back in his chair.

Gwendolyn groaned. "Not you, too."

Sirius didn't respond. Lily stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye. He didn't look very upset. In fact, he was probably just bored and wanted Peter around for entertainment. Lily sighed inwardly. It didn't seem fair how the boys treated Peter sometimes, but she surmised that it probably wasn't her place to say anything.

Just as Lily was about to go back up to her bedroom, Peter clambered in through the portrait hole.

"Hey guys," he said in his high voice, plopping down on the sofa next to Remus. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" they all chimed in unison.

"How were the Slytherins?" James asked, barely masking his scorn.

"Pretty boring, to be honest," Peter said with a shrug.

"Why do you hang out with them?" Sirius asked, his tone a little sharp.

"Well, my dad used to work with Mr. Bobbin, so at first it was just because Jack was a familiar face," Peter answered defensively, and a bit nervously. "And then Janus knows Mark Hughes, so they just all formed a little group. But they're not as exciting as you all," he hastened to add.

Gwendolyn snorted. "Yeah, we're a real barrel of monkeys over here."

Peter smiled, but his smile faded at Sirius's next question. "Wait, doesn't Mr. Bobbin work for Lucius Malfoy's father? Abraxas, or whatever his name is?"

Peter shifted a bit. "Yeah."

"So does that mean _your_ father works for Lucius Malfoy's father?"

He shifted again. "Well, he _used_ to, yeah. But that doesn't _mean_ anything. In fact, my dad quit because Abraxas was such a git." Peter puffed out his chest a little bit in filial pride.

"Didn't you ride on the Hogwarts Express with Lucius Malfoy first year?" Lily asked. She had suddenly remembered seeing Peter trailing behind the gang of Slytherins who so repeatedly called her "Mudblood." Not that she would ever accuse Peter of doing the same, but it was interesting. She hadn't even given Peter a moment's thought back then. It was funny how things changed.

Peter shrugged, but when he spoke his voice was a bit squeaky. "I knew him, that's all. I didn't want to ride on the train by myself; it was my first time!"

"You could have sat with _us_," James exclaimed, gesturing between himself and Sirius.

"Well I didn't _know_ you, did I?" Peter responded with a smile. James just grunted in response, so Peter continued: "Look, why all the questions? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Pete, we're just bored. These blokes have nothing better to do," Remus answered, jerking his thumb in the direction of James and Sirius.

"Yeah, sorry for the interrogation," James said, blushing a bit and cocking his head back. "I'm just going insane over here. Wish we had Quidditch practice today."

"I don't," Sirius said. "I bloody hate Quidditch practice."

"Liar," Gwendolyn said, finishing her letter and picking up Sirius's magazine from the ground.

Sirius again had nothing to say, but he did manage to kick Gwendolyn's chair with one of his dangling legs. She just smiled.

It seemed as if they would all descend into silence again when there was a tapping at the window nearest James. He looked up to see his family owl flapping anxiously, a letter tied to his leg. He opened the window and untied the letter, patting the owl on the head and then watching it fly away.

"What'd you get?" Sirius asked, keen for something to talk about.

"Letter from my parents," James answered. "They always write me on Saturdays, but forget to post their letters until the afternoons."

Sirius's face fell. Clearly news from James's parents wasn't enough to keep him occupied. But the news must have been of interest to James, for after a few minutes he groaned and crumpled up the letter. "I _told_ them!" he exclaimed, tossing the wad of paper to the ground.

"Told them what?" Peter asked.

"They joined that bloody Society again," he said.

It was Gwendolyn's turn for a question: "Which Society?"

"The Society of Pureblood Sorcerers," he responded.

"Oh, they're the ones that went all crazy during Grindelwald's time, right?" she asked, eliciting a nod from James.

"I mean, they got a lot more normal for a while—that's when my parents joined," he explained, "but then the Malfoys took over and everyone went mental again, and so they left. But _then_, this Christmas, there was an election and my mum's friends, the Parkhursts, got elected to lead the thing and they're _not_ crazy."

"Well, that sounds good. What's the problem?" Remus asked.

"Apparently I was the _only_ one who saw this coming, but there is now a need for 'new leadership' within the Society," James said, shaking his head.

"What, there was a takeover or something?" Remus again asked.

"I guess! I don't really know what happened. I think it was all pretty sudden, but the Parkhursts are out."

"Who's in?" Gwendolyn and Lily asked at the same time.

"That's the thing: my parents didn't say. The letter makes it seem like nobody's in charge for right now, which can't be a good thing. Anyway, it's all very strange, and I _told_ them not to bother joining again."

"Too right! Bunch of pureblood freaks. Well, not your parents, of course," Sirius said from his armchair, his brows furrowed in anger.

"Yeah. Anyway," he said again, Levitating the crumpled-up letter with his wand and winging it into the fire, "I don't want to talk about it anymore. No point, really."

There was a chorus of agreement and everyone went back to his or her idling, without another moment's thought about the 'new leadership' in the Society of Pureblood Sorcerers...

* * *

A few Saturdays later, James received another letter from his parents, and though it did not mention the Society, it did make for a good conversation starter. His father had written out a list of all the elective classes at Hogwarts, their pros and cons, and his personal recommendations for James.

A special time of year was upon the Gryffindors. Their schoolwork was in a bit of a pre-exams lull and it was the Easter holidays, but rather than relax, they were faced with a new challenge: choosing elective courses for the next year. They were all knee-deep in pamphlets and leaflets and recommendations from older students and parents, and while everyone had some idea of what he or she wanted to do, no one had a completely finalized schedule. But everyone had a preferred method of choosing classes.

Sirius was a fan of the question, "Well, what do you think the easiest ones will be?" He posed this very query as he, James, Remus, and Peter clambered through the portrait hole. James was clutching his dad's letter in his hand; he hadn't much let it out of his sight for a day or two. He turned to face his friend and answered, "I don't know. Muggle Studies, probably."

"Yeah, and Care of Magical Creatures, I bet," Sirius nodded in agreement.

James consulted the letter. "It looks like my dad doesn't really recommend it though. He says I won't learn too much."

"No problem here," Sirius said with a shrug as they reached their favorite corner of the room.

"Sirius, for as smart as you are, you sure are dumb," Gwendolyn said from her seat. She was surrounded by pamphlets and had made her own lists, it seemed.

"It's a tough life, Gwen. It's a tough life." He sat down on the couch next to her and picked up the pamphlet on Ancient Runes. "Yuck," he said, his face contorting into an obvious grimace. "Why would anyone in their right mind take this class?"

"Hey!" she said, snatching it out of his hands. "_I'm_ taking it, and I think it's going to be fascinating!"

"I agree," said Lily, who had just finished flipping through the pamphlet. "And I think you guys should really consider it."

James perked up at this comment and looked at Sirius, his eyebrows raised. "I mean, it doesn't look _that_ bad, mate!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "No thanks, James. Sounds like a class for smart people who care. I'm more interested in what Diana's taking."

Diana shook her blonde hair and laughed, apparently not taking Sirius's comment as an insult. Lily groaned inwardly as Diana spoke. Try as she might to stomach "Di," Lily just couldn't tolerate her sometimes. "Care of Magical Creatures, of course! And probably Muggle Studies, because I'm half-Muggle, so it'll probably be super easy." She gave another tinny laugh and went back to examining her fingernails.

"See?" Sirius said, gesturing to Diana. "That's the kind of attitude I admire in a student."

Marlene shook her head and looked up from her color-coordinated, cross-referenced lists. "Diana, this is our best opportunity to study something really interesting, and you only want to look at pictures of Muggles driving cars? I don't understand!"

Diana sneered at Marlene. The two girls, being on complete ends of the studious spectrum, often did not get along, and everyone felt the tension in the air thicken as Diana continued her stare-down. Finally, she seemed to make up her mind what to say: "Whatever, Marlene. I'm going to take classes that will make me happy. You can suffer through Arithmancy, but don't come crying to me when you have homework up to your ears."

She got up from her chair and crossed the room to sit with her best friends, Galina and Adriana, who were both a year ahead. Marlene sighed and turned her attention now to Sirius, who could tell a reprimand was coming.

"Look, Marlene, don't even start," he said, pre-empting her attack. "I'm not just going to take easy classes, so settle down."

This seemed to please Marlene, for she smiled and turned back to her Arithmancy pamphlet.

James groaned. His decision had not gotten any easier in the past fifteen minutes. He turned to Remus, who was comparing pamphlets on Muggle Studies and Arithmancy. "What are you taking, mate?"

Remus sighed and shook his head. "I have no bloody idea. Arithmancy looks really good, but so does Ancient Runes, and if you all are taking Care of Magical Creatures, I want to take it, too. This is impossible!"

"Maybe you can sign up for more than two electives?" Peter suggested.

Gwendolyn shook her head. "I talked to Professor McGonagall about it, and she says it's possible, but she doesn't really recommend it. I guess having two electives in addition to all our normal classes gets really busy."

"And don't forget about Quidditch practices," Remus added.

"Yeah, and Hogsmeade visits start next year!" Sirius exclaimed.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Lily asked, puzzled as to why a few Saturday trips would consume a large portion of Sirius's time and energy.

"Well, with regular access to Zonko's, we'll really be able to step up our pranking capacity," James responded as Sirius nodded.

"Think of the inventory at that store! I hope we get to go to Hogsmeade every weekend!"

"Do they have a class on how to put up with idiotic friends?" Gwendolyn asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh Gwen, we were going to let you in on the planning, but if you think we're just idiotic, I guess we'll scrap that," Sirius said in mock consternation. Gwendolyn looked worried for a moment, but must have realized that Sirius was kidding, for she shrugged nonchalantly.

"What you forget, Sirius, is that I have _plenty_ of ideas on my own, thank you very much!" Whether or not this was true Lily didn't know, but she wouldn't put it past Gwendolyn. Sirius just nodded appreciatively.

"All right, I've had enough of these pamphlets," Lily said, shuffling her papers into a stack. "Let's do something. Does anyone want to take a walk with me?"

Marlene and Gwendolyn nodded and the three girls said their goodbyes and climbed out the portrait hole, leaving the four boys in the Common Room.

James looked forlorn as he picked up Lily's discarded Arithmancy pamphlet. "Arithmancy. I _really_ don't want to take that."

"So don't," Sirius said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but Lily's going to take it," James responded quietly.

"So?"

"I don't know..." James hesitated. "It would be nice to be in the same classes as her."

"Aww, you're going to miss your girlfriend when she doesn't sign up for Care of Magical Creatures?" Sirius teased, twisting his face into an exaggerated pout.

James ignored him. "Why does she have to be so smart?" he sighed.

Remus looked at James, his eyebrows creased menacingly. "James, you are just as smart as her. You would do fine in Arithmancy if you put in a little effort, I'm sure. And you too, Sirius."

"Thanks mate, but I'm not going to sign up for a harder class just to chase after a girl," Sirius said. "Besides, Diana is taking Care of Magical Creatures, and she's prettier than Lily anyway."

James's face flushed in anger, but he didn't say anything to Sirius. Instead, he took one more glance at the Arithmancy packet, then tossed it back on the table and stood up. "OK, I've had enough, too. I'm going to go to the Quidditch pitch. Anyone coming with me?"

None of the boys made any move to get up, so James clambered out of the portrait hole by himself, Arithmantical thoughts still percolating in his mind.

* * *

After everyone finally settled on classes, school picked up the pace again. The rest of April flew by, as did May, and before they knew it, the Gryffindors were facing final exams. But the exams passed without too much fanfare, and everyone did just about as well as they expected.

They were all now sitting by the lake on a lazy June afternoon. People had started to pack up their trunks as the Hogwarts Express would leave the next day, but they had a few hours of blissful freedom before the Leaving Feast.

Students were sitting in clusters all around the edges of the lake. Gwendolyn and Lily had taken their shoes off and were dipping their toes into the water. Marlene was afraid of the Giant Squid, so she was a little more removed from the water's edge. And the boys were lying down, basking in the sun.

"Did you all hear that Dumbledore sacked Professor Benton?" James asked.

"What? No!" Gwendolyn said, jerking her head around to face James. "Why?"

"For being the worst bloody Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in the history of time," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I didn't learn a bloody thing this year."

"Oh sure you did," James said. "You learned how _not_ to teach a class. And that sometimes, second-year students are more knowledgeable than their teachers."

Sirius and Gwendolyn laughed, but Remus and Lily did not. "That's not fair, James," Lily said. "She was obviously nervous, and really young! Can you imagine teaching classes to all these obnoxious students? It would be really hard! Give her a break!"

"OK fine! You don't have to jump down my throat! Sirius insulted her, too, you know," James said, throwing his hands into the air defensively.

"Well..." Lily stalled. "Shame on you, too, Sirius."

Sirius just shrugged. "It's not my fault she was bad, Lily."

"She had to have _some_ merit," Remus said rationally. "Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have hired a bad professor on purpose."

"She was probably the only one who would take the job because of the curse," Gwendolyn said, nodding her head. "I'm telling you!"

"Oh, you and that silly curse," Remus said. "Just because the job has a high turnover rate doesn't mean that it's jinxed!"

"OK, believe what you want to believe," Gwendolyn said. "But you won't see me rushing to apply as soon as I graduate!"

"That's probably also because you hate Defense Against the Dark Arts," Sirius added.

Gwendolyn nodded. "Fair point."

Lily glanced at her wristwatch. The afternoon was rapidly evaporating. She lifted her feet out of the water and slipped her shoes back on. "OK," she said, pushing herself up off the grass and dusting off the seat of her pants, "I'm going to head back up to the dormitory for a bit before the Feast. See you all in a little while."

As she trudged back up the hill to the castle, Lily was struck with the same melancholy that had hit her the year before. She was glad school was done for a while, but she was facing another summer of nothingness, and that prospect did not seem too exciting at all. She knew that the minute she stepped off the Hogwarts Express and into her parent's car it would be back to a life of Petunia's whining, of loneliness, and of waiting.

But things weren't really so bad. Gwendolyn had already promised that they would spend lots of time with each other over the summer, and Lily thought that maybe she would just stay for weeks with the Hightowers. It wasn't a bad idea, especially since Gwendolyn's brother Chadwick would be around, and Lily had developed something of a crush on him.

She smiled inwardly as she reached the Fat Lady and spoke the password. As she climbed into the Common Room, she felt another wave of joy. The Gryffindors had again won the House Championship, and the Great Hall would be draped in scarlet and gold for the second year in a row.

Lily waved to a few people as she climbed the circular staircase leading to her dormitory. As soon as she entered the room she collapsed onto her four-poster bed and stared at the ceiling, reflecting on the past nine months. It had been a good school year. Very good, in fact. And as she drifted off to sleep, she was sure that even better times were just around the corner.

**Post Note:** If it please you, let me know what you thought! I love feedback, be it good or bad. Thanks for reading!!  



	18. Interlude Two: October 15th, 1975

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello, dear readers! This is another interlude, from Dumbledore's POV. We'll return to the gang after this. Sorry for the extended delays between chapters; school is kind of hindering my creativity right now, as well as monopolizing my time. Thanks, as always, to Nielawen for the beta!

**INTERLUDE TWO**

"_When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions." _

--William Shakespeare

**October 15th, 1975**

Albus Dumbledore reached across his desk for a certain piece of paper. It was from the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic, and from one Auror in particular: Stephen Mantooth, a recent graduate of Hogwarts, who was Dumbledore's chief informant within the Ministry. Not that the Ministry was generally uncooperative, but Stephen made sure Dumbledore knew every bit of Voldemort news that came across his desk. And with the recent upsurge in "incidents" related to Voldemort, there certainly was a lot of news.

Dumbledore read the memo for the third time that morning:

_To: Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts School_

_From: Stephen Mantooth, Junior Auror, Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

_Re: Potential Spies_

_Professor Dumbledore,_

_Too many reports from the Department have been surfacing for me to not tell you this: the Ministry suspects there may be spies within Hogwarts' walls. Sources are unclear as to the identity of the spies; most likely faculty and staff, but perhaps students as well. _

_Might I also caution you, sir, to be keen for any news on the Society of Pureblood Sorcerers. It is too early to say anything concrete about the Society, and it is also extremely risky as many members are generous patrons of the Ministry, but speculation exists as to their motives. I certainly believe they may be in league with You-Know-Who, and if they aren't now, they may be in the future. Of course, this is not official Ministry suspicion by any means, but you always told me to trust my instincts..._

_Again, sir, I urge you to contact the Ministry should you feel you require any assistance at Hogwarts, and also to contact the Ministry with any information regarding the V. case._

_Regards,_

_Stephen_

Dumbledore folded up the memo and pushed it to the side of his desk. Stephen's words rang true: Dumbledore was sure he had hired staff with... _questionable_ loyalties in the past. In fact, even a few Grindelwald supporters had been in the employ of Hogwarts back in the 1940s. Not that Voldemort was as powerful as Grindelwald. Yet...

But Dumbledore had never really considered the possibility of student spies, or at least never _let_ himself consider the possibility. He always tried to see the best in his students, even those who were misguided. But Tom Riddle had been Dumbledore's student, after all, so the headmaster felt that perhaps it was time to investigate. After all, the students at Hogwarts were just the right age to be picked as Riddle's minions. Old enough to make their own decisions, and yet still too young to know what they were getting into. It was a terrifying prospect.

Even more terrifying was the thought that Riddle could actually command such a loyal following. The spate of killings had not subsided since Riddle's grand proclamation of himself as "Lord Voldemort," but Dumbledore knew the worst was yet to come. And people were too slow to take action. If Riddle really had started recruiting young, impressionable minds, then the time for action was certainly upon those on the side of good.

And yet, was action even possible at this point? Dumbledore thought back to Stephen's letter. Stephen Mantooth, a bright, intelligent, aggressive Junior Auror was too afraid to say Voldemort's name, even in a _letter_. Sure, there had been people too scared to utter the name before, but they had been the uniformed masses, not Aurors in the Ministry of Magic, whose very _job_ depended on the absence of fear.

But Dumbledore had noticed this trend more and more in recent weeks, and this thought scared him more than anything. If, after no more than two years of Voldemort's existence, people were already _so_ afraid of him, what could possibly happen next? More importantly, what could be done to combat it?

The problems were mounting, rising proportionately with fear. And soon, Dumbledore feared, soon it would be too much.


	19. Fifteen: Conversation and Contemplation

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello, dear readers! I'm afraid that school is just not letting up, so I give you this chapter in the hopes that you will forgive the continued delays between updates. As soon as May is here, I'll have more time (hopefully!). I've also been getting into the Challenges over at MuggleNet Fanfiction; you can see all those stories over there if you'd like--my username is the same! As always, heaps of thanks to Nielawen.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Conversation and Contemplation**

Peter Pettigrew stirred his cornflakes early one morning at the breakfast table of his house in London. It was not even nine o'clock, but already he could feel the sweltering summer heat, and it was putting him in a bad mood. He wished he could be back at Hogwarts, but September still seemed ages away.

He scooped up a bite of cereal and raised it to his mouth only to drop it back in the bowl as he realized the flakes had gone soggy. There was nothing worse than soggy cereal.

His father sat across the table from Peter, reading the _Daily Prophet_. Though Peter's stepmother, Frances, frowned upon the wizard newspaper, Douglas Pettigrew never went a day without it. Granted, Frances was out of the house right now, so Douglas could read it in peace, and Peter had no doubt that he would stash the _Prophet_ away as soon as Frances returned from the store.

Suddenly, Peter was struck with a strange sense of melancholy. "What was Mum like?" he blurted out.

"What?" Douglas responded, nearly choking on his coffee.

"I don't remember her very much at all, or Elaine. What were they like?" Peter did not take his eyes off the table where he was still trailing his spoon through his soggy gloop.

For a long moment, Douglas didn't speak, and Peter thought that maybe his father hadn't heard right, or if he had, he was choosing to ignore the question.

But after a little while, Douglas set down the paper and looked at Peter. No, not at him. _Through_ him. "They were angels. Both of them. Your mother was the kindest, most generous woman on the planet. She was just incredibly special. And Elaine was the most darling little girl. She had this curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. And she was so smart. She knew how to stand up for herself, even so young..." Douglas trailed off, and Peter noticed that his eyes seemed a bit misty. Douglas dropped his eyes to the table, then looked up again at Peter. "You really don't remember them?"

"Not very well," Peter responded, shaking his head. He didn't know why, but he felt very guilty at that moment. "I mean, I was only three when Mum died."

"True," Douglas said pensively.

A sticky silence lingered in the air, and Peter didn't know if the conversation was over. He had another question that he was just dying to ask, but after seeing his father bear his soul so openly, he wasn't sure if the timing was right. But maybe a bit of Sirius and James's impulsiveness had worn off on him, for he opened his mouth again, just as Douglas was turning back to the _Prophet_.

"How did she die?"

"Sorry?" Douglas asked, this time _definitely_ pretending he hadn't heard.

"How did Mum die?"

"In a car crash, Pete, you know that." Douglas shifted a bit in his chair and Peter noticed a definite shift in his manner, too.

This was the standard answer Peter had always gotten, and he had always swallowed it. Until today. "Yeah, but why was Mum driving? She didn't know how to drive, did she?"

"Why are you so interested in this all of a sudden?" Douglas asked, laughing nervously. Peter could have _sworn_ that his father's eyes darted to the stack of mail on the table, but as he looked at the stack of mail, he had no idea why.

"It's just always bothered me, why she was driving if she was a witch," he said, glancing back at his father.

"Well... I, uh... I think... I think plenty of witches drive," Douglas stammered, again looking at the stack of mail.

"Dad, why do you keep looking at the stack of mail?" Peter scooted forward in his chair, furrowing his brows and straining to see the contents of the letters.

"No reason," Douglas said, taking the top envelope and trying nonchalantly to stuff it under some others.

"What is that?" Peter asked, leaning across the table and grabbing the envelope from out of his father's hand. He read the return address label out loud: "The Society of Pureblood Sorcerers? You're in that?" Peter put the letter down and stared at his father in disbelief. From everything Sirius and James had said about this Society, it didn't sound like a very good thing at all. And yet, there was a part of him that was so _proud_ that his father, Douglas Pettigrew, was good enough to be in the Society... But he shook that thought from his mind and focused back on his father.

"Yes," Douglas responded, then quickly backtracked. "I mean, no. I was. I mean, when we—when _I_ worked for Abraxas Malfoy, he made us join. I don't think I'm a member anymore. But I still get the newsletters."

Douglas made a move to change the conversation, but Peter wasn't satisfied. He broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the newsletter, glancing over the front page. "Hey, here he is!" Peter exclaimed, reading again: "'Abraxas Malfoy named President of the Society of Pureblood Sorcerers.' Man, he sure is an ugly bloke. Look at that scar."

Douglas laughed nervously, and made to snatch the letter out of Peter's hands.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Peter said, instinctively pulling the letter farther away from his father.

"Nothing. Don't look at that anymore, Peter. Let's put it away." Douglas stood up and moved around the table to where his son was sitting.

Suddenly, Peter had a revelation. He whipped around to his father standing behind him and focused his most intense glare on Douglas's face. "Does Abraxas Malfoy have something to do with Mum's death?"

Douglas let out an unnatural laugh. "Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed, averting his eyes.

"Dad, tell me!" Peter stood up, knocking over his chair in the process. And though he had only just turned thirteen, he was almost as tall as his father.

"Not now, Peter," Douglas said, taking a step backward. "I've got to go to work. Just let this rest."

"Tell me!" Peter said, taking a step forward.

"No, Peter. Just stop, please." Douglas was being backed into a wall, and he was looking more and more uncomfortable with each second's passing.

"Dad, I deserve to know!" Peter knew his face was getting red, and he was almost shaking out of... anger? Nervousness? He wasn't sure what. He tightened his grip on the letter and waved it in his father's face. "What is this all about? I deserve to know!"

Douglas finally lost his cool. "Well, you wouldn't understand, damn it!" he exclaimed, balling his hands into fists, then slamming them down into the wall behind him. "I'll tell you when you're older. You'll understand when you're older."

"Did Abraxas Malfoy kill my mother?" Peter asked, taking yet another step toward his father, unsure of where this sudden boldness had come from.

"No! Absolutely not." This time, it was Douglas who looked angry.

"Then what happened?"

By now there was nowhere Douglas could go. Peter had him cornered, both literally and figuratively, and he wasn't backing down. Another long silence passed, and Peter felt his shoulders tense up even more.

And then, just as Douglas was about to open his mouth, they both heard the door open and Frances's voice wafted in from the foyer. Peter quickly stepped back from his father, fully aware that Frances was not one to cross, and would most certainly not approve of this conversation.

"My, I heard some commotion from outside," she said as she walked into the kitchen. "Is everything all right?"

"It's just fine, darling," Douglas said, calmly walking from the corner to his wife and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Can I help you with the groceries?"

She smiled at him and said, "Certainly, but you'd better hurry, or you'll be late for work!"

"Yes, dear," he responded, beginning to unpack the bags.

"And how are you this morning, Peter?" Frances asked turning to her stepson.

Peter could find no words. All the anger of the previous fifteen minutes had nowhere near expired, and he had no idea what to do except get out of the kitchen, and _fast_. He muttered a quick, "Fine," then dashed up the stairs to his room, slamming the door for good measure.

As soon as he sat down at his desk, he withdrew three small pieces of parchment from his desk, and dashed off three identical notes:

_We need to meet soon. Ideas?_

_--Peter_

He prayed that Sirius, Remus, and James would answer quickly.

* * *

"Pete, you never told us that your mum died," Remus said as the boys gathered in his room at Number Ten, Grimmauld Place. They had agreed that Remus's house was the best spot for the meeting: not only was it two doors down from Sirius's house, but Rhea Lupin was always good for a batch of homemade cookies.

Peter just shrugged at Remus's words. "There never was a good time to announce it or anything. If it had come up in conversation, I would have told you, and I'm sorry you had to find out like this."

Remus shook his head. "No, don't apologize. _We_ should be the ones apologizing. I can't believe we got through two years of school without knowing that."

Peter merely shrugged again. "Anyway, that's not the important part. The important part is what Abraxas Malfoy had to do with it."

This time, it was James who shook his head. "I wouldn't put anything past that man, Pete," he said, staring angrily at the floor. "He is so... _slimy_. There's no other word for it."

"I can think of a few," Sirius growled from next to James.

"OK, yes, the Malfoys are perhaps not the world's nicest people, but do you really think they _killed _Peter's mother?" Remus asked.

"Well..." James started, perhaps not willing to make such a bold statement.

"The way my dad said 'no' to that question makes me think that maybe Abraxas didn't actually kill her. But he _had_ to be involved with her death somehow. I've never seen Dad look so nervous. And he's a very, very nervous man!"

None of the boys said anything for a while. Peter just pulled idly at a section of carpet while the other three stared into space. "Look," he said, lifting his head to his friends. "Let's just drop it. We're not going to solve any mysteries today, right?"

"Well," Sirius said as he took a bite of chocolate chip cookie, "maybe the mystery of what makes these cookies so delicious." He winked at Peter, who smiled back at him.

"Just know, Peter, that if you ever want to talk to any of us about _anything_, we're here, OK?" Remus asked, laying a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. Peter nodded, and Remus continued. "So let's get down to the other business of the day. How is everyone's research coming along?"

James and Sirius both shifted uneasily and Peter blushed, looking again at the ground. Remus didn't seem to notice this as he was pulling out a big stack of parchment and some heavy-looking books. "Guys?" he said, finally registering the looks of shame on his friends' faces.

"Umm... I haven't actually started my research yet," James said sheepishly.

"Yeah, mate, me neither," Sirius added. "Been real busy with... stuff."

"But it looks like you've been busy!" Peter exclaimed, pointing at Remus's papers.

"Well, my dad had to go into Diagon Alley the other day, so he dropped me off at the Wizard's Library on Scholastic Alley. There's some really good stuff in there. Of course," he added, "_I'm_ not the one who is trying to become an Animagus, so I think all this research is pretty useless."

James shook his head. "No, it's not useless. _We're_ useless. We're the ones who should have done all this work."

"Yeah, but Remus likes it, so let's just steal from him! That's always been my policy," Sirius said with a smile, reaching over to pick up some of the papers.

Remus laughed. "He's right. It was actually really fascinating. But it's going to be incredibly hard, so you guys should get to work right away."

"But we'll still have it mastered by October, don't you think?" Sirius asked, inspecting a complicated-looking diagram.

Remus laughed again. "Maybe with a miracle or five, you could be done by... _next_ October. But even _that's_ pushing it. It looks like the most complicated magic ever devised, and with schoolwork and everything..."

"Hey, mate," Sirius said, looking up from the chart. "We made a _vow_. And Sirius Black does not break vows. We will conquer this stuff, I promise. We just might have to... cut back on homework time or something. Not too bad, in my opinion."

James smiled, though he shot Remus a worried look. "Yeah, good plan, Sirius. We'll do it."

Peter looked overwhelmed as he flipped through the pages of a book. "I don't even know where to begin," he said.

"Well, you might want to start by holding the book right-side-up," Sirius suggested, turning the book around in Peter's hands.

"Oh, right," he said with a sheepish laugh.

Remus surveyed the scene, getting great pleasure from watching his three friends look at some incredibly complicated magical instructions, the looks of bafflement barely concealed on their faces. "Boys, it's going to be an interesting year."

* * *

"Are you excited for Hogsmeade Weekends?" Gwendolyn asked Lily. The girls were sitting at the breakfast table at Gwendolyn's house, and had received their Hogwarts letters that very morning, along with a permission slip for visiting the village of Hogsmeade.

Lily smiled and nodded, buttering a slice of toast. "I've never been. Have you?"

"Yeah, Mum likes to do Christmas shopping there every once in a while, and I went with her a few times. It's pretty neat."

"What is there to do?"

"Oh, a whole bunch. There's a pretty good joke shop—the boys will enjoy that. And the post office is cool, the sweet shop is delicious... Oh, and there's always Madame Puddifoot's," Gwendolyn said with a grin.

"What's that?" Lily asked.

"It's a really fruity little tea shop. Couples go there all the time. Around Valentine's Day they really decorate it. Chadwick says it's really silly, but will probably make for some interesting gossip, don't you think?" Gwendolyn's grin was borderline mischievous now.

Lily's stomach had done a little flip at the mention of Chadwick's name, but she hoped Gwendolyn hadn't noticed her look of excitement. Lily thought the teashop sounded a little silly, but as the man himself walked in the kitchen, she found herself wishing she could pay a little visit to Madame Puddifoot right that moment.

"Morning, Gwendolyn," Chadwick said, ruffling his sister's hair. "How's it going, Lil?" he asked, giving her a little nod.

Her stomach did some more acrobatics. She was practically squirming with glee at his use of the nickname, and even better: Gwendolyn hadn't seemed to notice. Of course, Gwendolyn probably had a bit of a suspicion of Lily's crush as Lily had a tendency to blush as red as her hair whenever Chadwick walked in the room. She couldn't help it, though. Every time she thought of his tousled light brown hair and soft blue eyes... She shook her head, hoping that her jaw had not been hanging open. Again.

"Why are you two talking about Madame Puddifoot's?" Chadwick asked as he poured himself some juice, his eyebrows raised playfully. "Got your eye on someone, Lily?"

Lily choked on her toast. She wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or lack of oxygen, but her face was definitely turning red.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said, taking a sip. "Who is it, Gwendolyn? Oh wait, I bet I know: James Potter. Am I wrong?"

Now it was Gwendolyn's turn to choke. "If it _is_ James, then that's news to me. Although not a bad idea, I might say..." She, too, smiled playfully at Lily.

Lily was now thoroughly mortified, and the toast had finally made its way down the right pipe. "_James?_" she exclaimed. "James Potter? No. No, absolutely not."

"Oh, come on! You two would be great together!" Chadwick said. "He's bloody good at Quidditch, you know."

"That's very true," Gwendolyn said pensively, drumming her fingers on her chin.

"Well, maybe _you_ should date him!" Lily said to her best friend, desperately wanting to change the subject.

Gwendolyn and Chadwick both laughed, and Chadwick opened his mouth to speak again, but Lily cut him off before he could. "So, I heard you made Prefect. Congratulations!"

Chadwick smiled and nodded. "Yep. Against all odds, right Gwen? I thought Mike was going to get it for sure." Michael McKinnon was another rising fifth year Gryffindor, Chadwick's best friend and fellow Quidditch star, and the brother of Lily and Gwendolyn's friend Marlene. He _also_ happened to be very attractive, Lily couldn't help but note to herself.

"Nah, that job had your name written all over it. How else would I be able to plan incredible pranks with Sirius and James if I didn't have a big brother to cover up for me?" Gwendolyn asked with a wicked grin.

She and Chadwick started into a discussion of pranks, but the mention of James's name threw Lily deep into contemplation. She thought back to the earlier conversation: why had she been so against the idea of she and James as a couple? Well, he wasn't her _favorite_ of the boys; that was for sure. But was there anything especially wrong with him? He was a bit arrogant, sure, and sometimes kind of awkward. But he _was_ pretty cute, and he was _very_ good at Quidditch. But Sirius was even cuter and almost as good at Quidditch...

And why had Chadwick been so keen to set the two of them up? Lily felt herself become a bit melancholy as she realized that Chadwick probably had no interest in her. And why should he? He was a gorgeous fifth year with everything going for him, and she was nothing but his little sister's little friend. Chadwick and Michael were the two best-looking Gryffindors, maybe even the two best-looking boys in all of Hogwarts. As Lily pondered this, she thought that maybe, just maybe, she should set her sights a little bit lower.

She remained silent as Chadwick gathered up the _Daily Prophet_ and headed out of the room. As soon as he was out of earshot, Gwendolyn leaned in close to Lily. "OK, now that he's gone, you can tell me: do you like James?"

Lily shook her head. "I really don't, Gwendolyn."

Gwendolyn looked a bit disappointed. "OK. But is there anyone else?"

"Umm... no, not really," Lily lied. "Besides, don't you think we're too young to think about this seriously?"

Gwendolyn just snorted. "Speak for yourself, Lil."

Lily laughed. "I don't know... I just think that third year is going to be really, really hard with all the new classes. Maybe I shouldn't think about boys so much."

"Ah. Very wise of you, my friend," Gwendolyn said, though it didn't sound like she would be following Lily's advice anytime soon. "And since you mentioned it, let's take a look at that book list again."

Lily smiled and pulled out her list again. But as she scanned the list, she couldn't help but dwell on a few choice Gryffindors...


	20. Sixteen: Curses and a Cloak

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN:**** Curses and a Cloak**

"Ancient Runes is the most interesting class taught here at Hogwarts," said Professor Jack Montgomery as he stood at the front of a dimly lit classroom on the second floor of the castle. Lily, Gwendolyn, and Marlene were seated around a rough wooden table, and it was the first day of classes. The trip on the Hogwarts Express, the Welcoming Feast, the Sorting; all were over and their third year had begun. Lily was excited to be back with her friends, of course, but was even more excited to begin her new elective classes, starting with Ancient Runes.

The Professor continued, his face illuminated by a few flickering candles on the head table: "I know you'll probably hear that in most of your classes today—well, perhaps not History of Magic—" Gwendolyn snorted and smiled at Lily's right. "—but I alone am telling the truth. Ancient Runes are the most fascinating aspect of Magical culture. They contain our history, they _are_ our history. From the very beginning years of magic wizards have experimented with runes, and now you, _thousands_ of years later, get to interpret them. This class will cover not just typical Scandinavian or Norse Runes, but magical alphabets and inscriptions from all epochs of history. Many of them are as old as magic itself, older even than this very school. They can be enlightening, humorous, puzzling, and—more often than not—_dangerous_. If you think studying manticores and werewolves raises the hair on the back of your neck, imagine unearthing a curse tablet from two thousand years ago. You can't read it, you don't know its purpose, but you _know_ it is sinister."

He paused and let his words sink in, and with great effect: Lily felt a chill run up her spine. She _knew_ that she was going to love this class; the professor was so charismatic! He was a bit dishy, too, Lily reluctantly let herself admit. Young—maybe in his late twenties?—with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He had a very serious attitude about him—like Professor McGonagall—but she could tell that he was going to be incredibly fun, too. Lily stole a glance to her right and saw that Gwendolyn looked positively smitten. Gwen turned her head and gave Lily a smile bursting with elation. Lily twitched the corners of her mouth into a grin, shook her head at her friend, and focused her attention back on Professor Montgomery, who had just turned on a slide projector. "Before we start translating," he said, waving his wand to further dim the lights in the classroom, "I want to give you a brief overview of the different runes and codes we'll be studying over the course of the next five years—that is, if you stay with me." There was no doubt in Lily's mind that she would.

He tapped his wand on the machine and the first slide appeared, an old metal tablet with Latin writing carved on it. "This is a curse tablet from the Roman Empire," he said. "We'll be starting with these because they are easiest to read, being in the same script as English. But that doesn't make them any less exciting: the Romans were heartless when it came to their curses. And by translating and reading just a few of these, you'll be able to grasp the formula that many curses take, and this will aid you as we plunge into more difficult runes and languages."

He tapped the projector again and a new tablet appeared, this time made of stone and in strange characters. "Etruscan," said Professor Montgomery. "From a civilization in Northern Italy that predates the Roman Empire. Not much is known about the Etruscans—at least to the Muggles, that is. Wizards, however, have put forth the internal hypothesis that it was an early wizarding community, and that's why the Muggles have such trouble translating the script—what's recorded is composed entirely of spells. The grammar and syntax would be wholly different than any other script Muggle archeologists have encountered."

Once again, he tapped the machine and a third slide come into focus. It was a picture of Stonehenge. "Stonehenge is not, as some think, a cluster of rocks left by extraterrestrials or some strange otherworldly race. We have found tablets with inscriptions," he said, clicking to the next slide, "very near the site, and have good reason to believe they are related, and that the stones were placed in this configuration for some sort of magical ritual or game by ancient Celtic wizards."

Gwendolyn's hand shot up. "But haven't archeologists dated the stone to older than 2000 BC?" she asked, without lowering her hand.

Professor Montgomery raised his eyebrows appreciatively. "Ah, we have a history buff! Well, Miss..."

"Hightower," she supplied. "Gwendolyn Hightower."

"Well, Miss Hightower, you are indeed correct. Muggle archeologists date the stones to between 2500 and 2000 BC. However, Wizard historians have reason to believe that the ancient Celtic wizards—if they were indeed the ones who built the monument—placed a charm on the stones and on the ground surrounding them in order to make them appear older than they are. We'll be discussing the reasons for this later in the course, but you are very keen to bring up this fact."

Gwendolyn nodded, blushing. It wasn't unlike Gwendolyn to raise her hand in the middle of professors' lectures, but Lily had rarely seen her do it with such enthusiasm, and was proud of her pureblood friend's knowledge of Muggle archeology. Lily could see why Gwendolyn was so entranced—it was fascinating stuff. Professor Montgomery kept the slideshow going for another ten minutes, and the students saw inscriptions and tablets from all over the world: Mayan, Greek, Egyptian, the list went on and on. Each culture seemed to have some feature unique to its tablets and scrolls, and by the end of the show, Lily was practically itching to get her hands on a Runic Dictionary. Gwendolyn looked like she was about to faint out of sheer glee.

As Professor Montgomery brought the lights back up, he smiled a knowing smile. "I bet you had no idea all those wizards and wizarding cultures had such a fascinating past. Professor Binns thanks me every year, because after my Runes students go to his class, they suddenly show a much keener interest in history." The students laughed and Lily couldn't help but notice Professor Montgomery's dimples as he flashed them another smile. "Are there any questions before we move on?"

Gwendolyn's hand shot up again, almost slapping Lily in the face in the process. "When do we start?" she exclaimed, again without waiting for Professor Montgomery to call on her.

He laughed, and Lily swooned just a tiny bit. "Well, Miss Hightower, I want to start examining the Latin tablets together in class today, but your homework assignment tonight will be to begin to familiarize yourself with the Etruscan script. We'll start looking at those tablets very soon, I imagine."

Lily caught a sidelong glance at her friend and knew that this year was going to be very interesting. If Gwendolyn weren't careful, she would find herself very much in love with Professor Montgomery! Lily let out a small laugh as the class opened their books to the section on Latin curse tablets and noticed that Gwendolyn was staring openly at Professor Montgomery. Lily gave her a small nudge and Gwendolyn's head shot down to look at her book, but the smile remained etched on her face like spells on a Roman tablet.

* * *

"These curse tablets are _weird_," Lily whispered to Gwendolyn as they sat together in Ancient Runes the following week. Their last two classes had been spent poring over curse tablets from the Ancient Romans, and Lily was thoroughly creeped out. The dark room and cold, dusty stones hardly lent themselves to cheeriness.

Gwendolyn, on the other hand, was as cheerful as ever. True love will do that to you, Lily surmised with a smile. "I know!" Gwendolyn whispered as she flipped a few pages in her Latin-English dictionary. "Don't you love them?"

Lily wasn't so sure about that. They had become pretty familiar with the form and pattern of the tablets over the course of the week and they were, in a word, sinister. First of all, they were almost always inscribed on lead. Tiny, _tiny_ slabs of lead. Professor Montgomery had to cast Engorgement Charms on all the tablets, making them about ten times their size just so the class could read them. And they all followed a similar pattern: repetition, constricting words, dark deeds—reading the tablets made her positively claustrophobic, as if the bad magic was creeping in from all sides.

"_Bind him, bind him, bind Phillius, born of Himera…" _

"_Cast him down, cast down his soul…"_

"_Make him and his things cold; constrict his tongue…"_

Lily shivered. The maker of this tablet certainly didn't like poor Phillius at all! She wondered if there were any Dark Wizards who still used curse tablets today. Not like they would be necessary, seeing as there were—unfortunately—much more powerful spells that could do the trick. Curse tablets probably didn't even work. What had their most recent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, McQuillen, said? In order for an offensive spell to really work, you had to be clearly focused on or looking at your opponent? Professor Viridian had showed them as much in his many, _many_ demonstrations during first year. The curses on curse tablets were so vastly different from any sort of spell they had learned so far.

Of course, Hogwarts students wouldn't be learning dark magic. At least, Lily hoped not. Still, the thought of someone writing a curse tablet about _her_ was not a pleasant thought.

She looked down at the table, surprised to see that she had breezed through her entire stack of tablets. Gwendolyn and Marlene each had a few to go, so Lily raised her hand. "Professor Montgomery?" she asked. "I think I've finished with my stack."

He looked up from the tablet he was inspecting, his blue eyes twinkling. "Oh, well done, Miss Evans. There's a full box at the back of the room if you'd like to get a little bit more practice in before the end of the period." He bent back down over his desk, furiously flipping pages in a dictionary of unknown provenance.

Lily wandered to the back of the classroom. There was still a good bit of time before the class ended, so she decided to rifle through the box and pick a few more tablets. The back wall of the class was a veritable Ancient Runes library with dictionaries, grammars, and textbooks lining the shelves on the walls. Illuminated tablets and scrolls were hung on the walls, and there were multiple boxes full of little pieces of stone or scraps of parchment. Lily felt like she was looking at the storeroom of the British Museum. It was wonderful.

She found the box labeled "Roman curse tablets" and started rifling through the enlarged stones, when something caught her eye. It looked like a normal curse tablet, but there was definitely something wrong with it. Something was off... She picked it up and weighed it in her hands. It seemed to be the same weight as the others, and it was made of lead, too. The writing seemed to be all in Latin, so that wasn't it. What _was_ it that made her feel so... scared? Yes, this tablet felt somehow darker than all the rest, as if the magic concealed within it was real. Fresh.

"There are a lot of tablets back here. Do you think Montgomery has read them all?"

The voice came from her right, and shook her out of the strange trance caused by the tablet. She was still holding it, totally transfixed, but she managed to tear her gaze away and look at the person to her right. It was Severus Snape—the Slytherin that James and Sirius often called "Snivellus." She had hardly ever spoken to him—apart from her very first night at Hogwarts when he had taken her boat on the shore of the lake. That was hardly enough to form an opinion of a person, but the boys had done plenty to fill her in with their personal interpretation of his character. Still, fully ninety percent of what James Potter and Sirius Black said could not be trusted (in her opinion), so she decided to disregard it all. She smiled at Severus. "I'll bet he has. He seems to really love the stuff."

Snape's eyes lit up, and Lily got the distinct impression that he had not expected her to answer. She was overcome by a fleeting feeling of pity for the boy, but it evaporated when the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Lily looked up, startled. She must have stared at the tablet longer than she thought. Severus also seemed startled, for his head twitched a little and he cleared his throat. "Okay, well, see you next class."

"Yeah, okay," Lily said, watching him shuffle away. She waited until he had gone before taking another look at the mysterious tablet. All the students were gathering their things to leave, but Lily knew she didn't want to—no, _couldn't_—put this tablet away. She quickly pulled out her wand. _"Reducio_," she muttered, sticking the shrunken tablet in the pocket of her robe. Casting a quick glance left and right to make sure no one had seen, she made her way back to the table where Gwendolyn was asking a few follow-up questions of Professor Montgomery. And though Lily knew it probably wasn't against the rules to take a tablet from class, she couldn't help but feel guilty as she walked into the hallway, dragging a reluctant Gwendolyn with her.

"I wish we had double Ancient Runes everyday," Gwendolyn said with a sigh, turning her head back in the direction of the classroom as they headed for the Great Hall.

"You're just in love with Professor Montgomery!" Marlene giggled.

"Well, that's certainly true, but I actually enjoy what we're studying in there, too. Don't you, Lily?"

Lily was quiet, thinking about her find. When she felt two pairs of eyes on her, however, she snapped back into focus. "Oh, yeah, definitely. It's great."

Should she tell the girls what she had found? Yes, she probably should. She wanted to know if they felt the same strange pull that she did.

But, another part of her wanted to keep the tablet to herself, to not share it with anyone. Maybe she should work on translating it first and then share the results with them? That would be good enough. Yes, that's what she would do...

* * *

"Give me the potatoes, Sirius, or I'll write a curse tablet about you!" Gwendolyn teased one Friday morning at breakfast.

"Oh, I'm _so_ scared!" he replied from his seat at Gwendolyn's left, using his wand to nudge the bowl of potatoes just out of her reach.

"You should be—they're _really_ creepy. All this stuff about binding you and squishing you, taking away your stuff, making you unable to speak… _say_, maybe I really should write one," she said with a wicked grin as she lunged for the dish.

Sirius scoffed and stacked his own plate high with potatoes, then passed the bowl down to Peter on his left. "You'd just like some one-on-one time with Professor Montgomery, from what I've heard."

Gwendolyn's eyes widened in shock and her face flushed nearly as red as the ketchup Sirius was squirting on his plate. She knew she would be trapped in a lie if she said anything, so she settled for stammering a bit.

Sirius nodded wisely and took a big bite. He smiled, exposing the half-chewed mush rolling around in his mouth. "In that case, dear Gwennie, feel free to curse away! But tell ol' Monty it better be an extra strong one to knock me down."

James watched the exchange and smiled. He had overheard bits of the girls' conversations about Ancient Runes and it sounded pretty interesting. Sometimes he was visited by brief pangs of regret for not signing up for the class, though he was pretty happy with his electives so far. He was not as happy watching the potatoes loll around in Sirius's gaping maw as he rattled on about Gwendolyn and Professor Montgomery, but some things just could not be helped.

He periodically scanned the Great Hall searching for two things that would brighten up the cloudy September morning: one being Remus Lupin returned from a night of lycanthropy and the other his owl bearing a promised package from his father. Remus was nowhere to be found and James hoped it hadn't been a terribly rough night, but he could not focus on that much longer as he heard the familiar squawking of hundreds of owls swooping in to deliver the mail.

He recognized his family's owl as it made a beeline straight for his goblet of juice, landing with surprising deftness on the brim after releasing a largish brown package from its talons. James felt a thrill of excitement run through his veins—he had a suspicion what this package contained, and if he was right… well, suffice it to say that his remaining five years at Hogwarts would be a _lot_ more fun.

He ripped open the card on top of the package and found a note written in his father's familiar scribbling hand:

_Your time has come, my boy. Enjoy this cloak as I have enjoyed it, as my father did, as his father did, and so on and so forth into the farthest reaches of history. I would say "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," but that is a very small list that I have every confidence you and Sirius will disregard entirely. Wear it proudly, James, but not showily. Not everyone can fully understand the significance of what is contained in this package, though I know you can. I am proud of you, son. --Your Father--_

Goosebumps erupted on his skin as James lifted the package in his hands. It was light—much lighter than he expected. It was taking every single ounce of determination he possessed not to rip it open at the table, but that would only arouse questions and suspicions—two things the boys very severely disliked. Instead, he directed knowing looks at Sirius and Peter who both abruptly dropped the forkfuls of food they were aiming at their respective mouths and hastily excused themselves from the table. Not the smoothest operation, but still: time was of the essence!

"Lily?" James whispered as Peter and Sirius hurried back toward Gryffindor. "Will you tell Remus to meet us in the dormitory if he comes down to breakfast?"

A brief look of confusion crossed her features but then she must have remembered that yesterday was a transformation and Remus would be arriving from somewhere _other_ than the dormitory. She nodded and gave James a small smile. He felt a fresh batch of goosebumps raise the hair on his arms as he smiled in return and then hurried to catch up with the boys.

"What was that all about?" Gwendolyn asked as she craned her neck to follow the boys' breakneck path out of the Great Hall.

"I have no idea," Lily answered honestly and turned back to her crossword puzzle.

* * *

The Invisibility Cloak was everything James had expected and more. It had been in his possession hardly more than five minutes before he and his friends had developed a copious list of things to do while concealed under its folds—for once they couldn't wait until curfew fell in order to test it out.

Remus had joined them, fresh from the Hospital Wing and with a new scar to show for it. He held the cloak in his hands and gazed at it as the four boys sat on James's bed. Janus Killeffer, the other third-year Gryffindor, was nowhere to be found, and James was glad—he wasn't planning on sharing this secret with Janus, who was friends with a great many Slytherins.

"This is incredible," Remus breathed. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"Of course you haven't," James said. "It's absolutely one of a kind. And it's _mine_!" He was positively giddy.

"Do you mind if I try it on?" Remus asked, and James nodded. The boy slipped it over his shoulders and was gone. "WOW! This is unbelievable! You really can't see me?"

"Not one bit. You're just a disembodied voice."

"_Fantastic._ Think of the things we can do with this! The places we can go! Sirius, we can test out your theory of the passageway behind that statue of the goblin."

James had rarely heard Remus so excited about anything. He surmised that it was not often Remus felt so totally invisible: for once, no one could see his scars. James was excited about the prospect of adding secret places and passages to The List, but he had his own aims for the cloak as well. Suspicious by nature—though he preferred the term _curious_—James had some investigations to undertake. True, most of them centered around denizens of Slytherin House, but there was at least _one_ inhabitant of Scarlet and Gold Gryffindor that he wouldn't mind following a bit…

* * *

Five nights after she had found the mysterious tablet, Lily was holed up in the library. It was almost nine and she knew she would be unceremoniously booted from her literary enclave very soon, but she still had not finished with the translation. The strange tablet she had stolen from class was _not_, as she had first guessed, written in Latin. Well, it was in Latin characters, but there seemed to be some strange cipher in place. The letters were out of order and the grammar made no sense, at least not compared with what Lily had seen in class so far. She had spent quite a few hours alone in the library, poring over book after book, but with no success. Whoever had written this tablet was either very stupid or _very_ smart—and her hunch was siding with the latter.

"Did you take that from Professor Montgomery's class?"

Lily very nearly jumped out of her chair at the question. She was so wrapped up in the tablet and its mystifying aura that she had not noticed Severus Snape standing at the table, his dark eyes alight from the candles surrounding her stacks of books. How long had he been there?

"I'm sorry, what?" she shook her head and rubbed her eyes in a vain attempt to clear the fog clouding her mind.

"Did you take that tablet from the Ancient Runes classroom?" he repeated.

"Oh, yes, but I'm going to return it!" she said defensively.

He smiled. "I'm not accusing you; I think it's neat. What does it say?"

She instinctively pulled the tablet closer to her, not yet willing to share its secrets—though what good were they if she could not unlock them? "Um…" she began, looking down at her haphazard collection of scribbled notes. "I don't actually know. It seems to be in Latin, but with a twist, or something. The grammar doesn't make any sense." She looked up again at Severus, and wondered if the eerie sensation she felt was from the tablet or the image of his pale face swathed in candlelight.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" He seemed almost hungry to get his hands on the tablet—did he feel it, too, whatever "it" was?

Lily hesitated again. Part of her wanted again to keep the tablet to herself, but this part was slowly being overpowered by another sense that Severus could help translate, or at least could appreciate the mystery with her. "Sure," she said after a moment and cleared a space for him to sit down next to her.

She scooted the tablet in front of him and watched his eyes flick back and forth over its surface. He muttered something under his breath—perhaps he was reading it aloud to himself? Whatever he was doing gave Lily the chills and she let out a nervous laugh and rubbed her arms. "Cold in here," she said by way of explanation, and Severus smiled.

"There's something strange about this one, don't you think? It doesn't feel like any of the others we've read." He looked at her as he said it, as if hesitant to throw out a theory like that. As soon as Lily nodded her agreement, however, his smile widened and he dove headfirst into an ancient dictionary.

He was flipping furiously through the pages when Lily heard what she _swore_ was a sneeze coming directly from across the table. Severus must have heard it, too, for he jerked his head up. "Who's there?" he demanded to complete darkness. No one responded. "I thought we were alone," Severus said quietly, his dark eyes narrowed.

Lily nodded and squinted her own green eyes, trying to penetrate the darkness lying just outside the path of light created by the candles. No luck. She glanced at her watch. "Oh, it's almost nine. We'd better pack it in for the night or we'll get thrown out."

Severus nodded, then helped Lily start to gather up the books. "Do you mind if I keep the tablet tonight?" he asked after a minute.

"Oh… Um, yeah, I guess that's fine," Lily said, nodding. "D'you want to… meet in here tomorrow night to try and work on it again?"

His eyes widened and a smile crept into one corner of his mouth. "Yeah, that would be good. Eight o'clock?"

"Sure." Lily shoved the last of the books into her bag, watched as Severus tucked the tablet carefully into a fold of his robe, and then walked with him to the door.

They parted as he headed for the Slytherin Common Room, but as she headed through the twisting corridors back to Gryffindor, Lily couldn't help but feel that she was being followed. Maybe it was just leftover jitters from staring at the peculiar tablet all night, but Lily was certainly relieved when she was once again ensconced in the familiarity of the Gryffindor Common Room.


	21. Seventeen: Yes and No

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:**** Yes and No**

"I believe 'trounced' is an appropriate word for this situation," James said as he and Sirius plopped onto a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. The Gryffindor Quidditch Team had just come back from a pre-season scrimmage with Ravenclaw—a scrimmage that many Gryffindors had watched—and a little bit of a celebration was beginning to brew around them. James had climbed through the portrait last and to the loudest applause, and Remus assumed he had purposely delayed himself in the changing room so as to make his grand entrance… He certainly deserved it after a stellar performance in the match, but it still made Remus laugh.

Remus watched him now, basking in his self-created limelight. As fellow team members clapped him on the back, a gaggle of second-year girls ogled him from a corner, pausing every now and then to turn away and whisper amongst themselves. Even Peter looked enthralled. Remus smiled and shook his head. James and Sirius were always the stars, and it could be quite entertaining to see people fawn over them. He swung one leg over the side of his armchair and looked at his friends. "Your hair's all messed up, James," he said with a laugh. Indeed, it looked like James had literally just hopped off his broomstick.

Diana Denham, a fellow Gryffindor third-year, happened to be walking by at that moment. "Oh, I like it like that, James," she cooed, brushing her fingers lightly across the top of his hair. James had raised his hand almost to his head, about to pat it down, but at her touch, he sat up straighter. "Really?" he asked, his arm still perched awkwardly in the air.

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "It looks so windswept. Don't you think, Lily?"

"Sure. Windswept," Lily answered from an armchair to Remus's right, not even looking up from the _Daily Prophet_ crossword puzzle she was working on.

James whipped his head around to Lily. "Really?" he asked again, his voice perilously close to squeaking this time. "Well, I guess I'll keep it like this!" He even ruffled it up a little bit more before finally dropping his arm.

"Well, mate, we can't all have naturally gorgeous locks like me, but if Diana likes it, it must look good," Sirius said with a wink, tossing his own dark hair playfully. Diana giggled and walked away, casting a fleeting glance over her shoulder at the Quidditch stars.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Sirius let out a low whistle. "Boys, I tell you, that is one pretty girl," he said, shaking his head. "I'm thinking about asking her to Hogsmeade. What do you think?"

"I thought you were going to ask Rena Sorenson from Ravenclaw," Remus said, getting a nod of confirmation from Peter.

"Yeah, that's what you told me yesterday," chimed the sandy-haired boy.

Sirius wrinkled his nose and cocked his head slightly to the side as if plumbing the depths of his memory. "Oh, yeah," he said, nodding slowly as a look of recognition dawned on his face. "I totally forgot about that. Is it okay to ask two girls to Hogsmeade?"

Lily snorted from her armchair, still concentrating on her crossword. "Nice, Sirius. Really classy."

"Well, it's not like I would _tell_ them they were both going with me!" he said, raising his eyebrows as if this was the most obvious point in the world. He whacked James on the arm looking for support. "Come on, Potter, back me up! How am I supposed to choose?"

Remus turned his head just in time to see James shift his gaze from Lily to Sirius. "What?" he blurted, as if startled back from a daydream. "Choose? Oh, um, yeah, Rena, probably."

"That settles it, I guess," Remus said to Sirius, though he couldn't help but notice that James continued to steal furtive glances at Lily, who was—as always—completely oblivious. Remus smiled. He knew that James had a bit of a crush on Lily. How could he _not_ know, when his friend stared at her every chance he got? It seemed, however, that Lily had no idea. At least, if she _did_ know, she had never mentioned anything to Remus. Remus was suddenly possessed by the idea that maybe it was time to push things along a little bit. He cleared his throat. "Who are _you_ going to ask, James?"

James's head shot up and he looked straight at Remus, terror evident in his hazel eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were slow to come. "Er, um…" he stammered, glancing again at Lily who _still_had yet to look up from the puzzle, "I don't know, _Remus,_" he said, shooting daggers at his friend. "I hadn't really thought about it."

Remus couldn't help but laugh. Okay, so his plan had backfired and now James was probably a bit miffed at him, but the look on his face was priceless. It was a mixture of embarrassment and hopefulness, if such a thing was even possible. And was that a tinge of anger? Remus laughed a little bit louder and winked at Sirius.

"Come on, Potter," Sirius said, closing the book he was browsing to join in on the fun. "Just yesterday you were telling me that you had a few options, right?"

"Now that you mention that, Sirius, he _was_ saying just that!" said Remus, looking again at Lily. Though her head was still down, it was now cocked a little to the side, and it looked like she hadn't filled in any crossword answers for a while.

"I don't know what you all are talking about," James attempted to state forcefully, though his face had colored a violent red. He cleared his throat and ruffled his hair again with his hand, his eyes darting left and right.

"I don't remember either," Peter added, winking at James. James mouthed "thank you" to him then turned to glare at Sirius and Remus in turn.

There was a long silence where neither Remus nor Sirius knew what to say, both knowing they should probably concede the game or there would be hell to pay. Sirius's eyes still twinkled as he calculated how best to proceed, and Remus chuckled again, but softer this time. It was amusing to see James—usually so cool under pressure—crack like this. He looked to his right and saw that Lily's quill was moving again. The moment had passed.

Finally, the silence was broken when Gwendolyn came over to see if anyone wanted to go to dinner. Lily agreed and the girls headed for the portrait hole. As soon as they were gone, though, James rounded on Sirius and Remus.

"Why the bloody hell did you two do that?" he asked, his face still a bit red. "You _know_ I was planning to ask her!"

"Yeah, so why didn't you just do it, then?" Sirius asked. "We were only trying to help you."

Remus agreed. "James, I'm pretty sure she knows you like her. I was just trying to nudge you in the right direction."

"Well, I'm not going to ask her with you lot sitting around gawking at us, am I? You know, if Pete hadn't jumped in to save me, that could have been pretty awkward!"

Peter beamed, but Sirius just laughed. "Could have been? No, mate, I think awkwardness was successfully achieved."

James groaned. "Great. What are my chances now? Did she even look up from her bloody puzzle?"

"No, sorry," Sirius said, clapping James on the back. "Better luck next time."

"If there even _is_ a next time," James groaned, resting his head in his hands. "She'll never say yes. As it is, she's probably going with that damn _Snivellus_."

"That grease-monster?" Sirius asked, his face the picture of disbelief. "James, you're off your rocker."

"_No_," he insisted. "They've been together a _lot_ these past few weeks. Not that I've noticed or anything," he added under his breath as he massaged the back of his neck.

"So? They're friends," Remus said, reluctant to get into another Snape-and-Slytherin bashing session, which were threatening to become a daily occurrence.

"Friends? With _him_? I thought they just shared an obscene love for the library." Sirius shuddered. "Mate, that throws her very sanity into question. You might want to rethink this crush of yours."

James groaned again. "What does it matter anymore?"

Sirius threw his book down. "Oh, come off it! What happened to James Potter, all-star Chaser? Would _he_ ever get discouraged like this?" he asked, his brows creasing into a frown. "She's just a girl. Last time I checked, there are plenty more practically lining up to get a little bit of that Potter magic."

"She's not 'just a girl,' Sirius," he said, furrowing his own brows, but then his face softened. "But you're right, I suppose."

"'Course I am! Now let's go eat." And without another word, they all headed for the portrait hole and down to the Great Hall.

* * *

A few hours after dinner, James found himself alone in a corner of the Common Room. Well, he wasn't entirely alone: Lily was there, but for the attention she was paying him, he might as well have been alone. She had moved on from her crossword puzzle, but was clearly deep into whatever she was working on now. He wanted to talk to her, wanted so badly to, but just couldn't muster the nerve.

He cleared his throat. No reaction from Lily. He tried again, a bit louder. Still nothing. Time for a different approach. "Hey, uh, Lily?" he asked. She turned her face toward him, though her eyes were still trained on her book. He continued: "Are you working on Herbology right now?"

"No," she said. "Ancient Runes."

"Oh, okay."

More silence. This was impossible! He and Lily never had problems talking to each other when the others were there, but, he realized with a sigh, they had never really had a conversation one-on-one.

"Are you going to work on it anytime tonight?" he tried again.

"No, I've finished it."

She was cutting him no slack. Time to do things the James Potter way. Time to be direct. "Lily," he started.

"James," she said with an exasperated sigh, finally raising her eyes from her book, "I've done my Herbology. I've finished my Transfiguration and my History, too, and I've put them all away, so chances are I can't help you tonight. Find someone else."

He bristled. "Wow, Lily, no need to jump down my throat."

She sighed again, but softer. "I'm sorry, James, it's just that this translation is really hard and I'm pretty tired." She ran one hand through her thick red hair, and James felt his stomach swoop.

"Fine. It's just—" he began, then decided not to continue. No need to make her night more stressful.

"It's just what?" she asked, looking at him, twirling her quill through her fingers.

"Nothing. Never mind. I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he gathered up his books and made to head for the staircase to the dormitory.

She closed her textbook and sat up straight in her chair, tucking her quill behind one small ear. She pressed her arms into the chair and stretched her back, rolling her neck from side to side. "James, if you don't tell me what, it's going to distract me all night, so you might as well come out with it."

"Really, it's nothing," he said, unable to take his eyes off her hair as she brushed a strand behind her ears. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to go with her anymore, if tonight was an accurate projection of how their date would be—she agitated and he dumbstruck. He slung his bag over his shoulder, but he hadn't even taken a step before she spoke again.

"James!" she implored.

"Fine. Fine. Look," he said, ruffling his hair, one hand gripping the strap of his bag in an attempt to conceal how his hands were shaking. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me, but clearly you're busy right now, so just… never mind."

A moment passed. "Oh," she said softly, looking down at her lap. "Um, that's really sweet of you."

"Don't even bother, Lily, if you're going to say no. It's okay. Really." _Have fun with Snivellus_, he wanted to shout, but he restrained himself. James didn't know why, but he felt so angry with her. She hadn't done anything to deserve it besides snap at him, but she always snapped at him. Tonight, though, he really didn't want to hear her say no. "Good night," he muttered, and headed for the stairs, leaving a still-silent Lily behind.

* * *

The next day, Remus was perched on a stool in the Secret Greenhouse. The boys were to have their weekly meeting to discuss progress on their Animagi transformations, but they were late. Of course. They had made a few strides, Remus thought, but there was still such a long way to go. Sometimes he doubted if the project would ever happen. But if Sirius, James, and even Peter were anything, they were determined. Remus smiled as he thought back to that night a little more than a year ago when they had made their pact right here in this very greenhouse. Though none of them were anywhere close to being Animagi, Peter's plants had grown nicely, which was something.

Peter himself opened the door to the greenhouse just then, and stood a bit awkwardly on the threshold for a moment. "Hi, Remus," he said loudly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Peter, how are you?" Remus said slowly, raising one brow in question.

"I'm great, thanks!" Peter was still standing there, holding the door ajar, his words coming out awkwardly—more awkwardly than usual.

"You can come in, you know," Remus said, gesturing with his hand and nodding at the door. "The Venemous Tentacula isn't biting just yet."

Peter gave an unnatural chuckle and stepped in the room. "Right you are, friend!" He walked slowly over to the table and began to check on his plants. "So, Remus," he said, casting a glance to an empty corner of the room. "Do you like Sirius or James better?"

Remus laughed. "That's a random question. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," Peter said, glancing again at the empty corner again and smiling mischievously. "I just wanted to know. Which one?"

"Why do you keep staring at that corner?" Remus asked, squinting his eyes and peering at Peter.

A nervous laugh escaped Peter's lips and he spilled a packet of seeds onto the metal table. "Oh, no reason," he repeated, scooping them nonchalantly back into their packet, though Remus noticed his voice had jumped a few pitches higher.

"No reason, huh?" Remus asked, finally realizing what was going on. "No reason at all? You just happen to keep glancing at that empty corner for no reason, right?"

"Yep! That's it! No reason," Peter said, his voice rising higher still. He was now looking at the corner every few seconds.

"So," Remus began, picking up a trowel from the table and spinning it around in his hand, "If I were to chuck this sharp, pointed trowel directly at that corner, you would have no problem with it?" He raised the trowel over his head and looked inquisitively at Peter, who had now begun to sweat.

"Um," Peter squeaked, "I guess not! Nope. Throw away!" He twisted his hands furiously in front of him.

"All right, here I go. One... two..."

Remus was almost to three before Sirius and James suddenly appeared in the corner right where he had been aiming. "Okay, you win, Remus!" Sirius said. "You caught us."

"I am victorious!" Remus yelled, dropping the trowel and pumping his fist into the air.

"Were you really going to throw that thing at us?" James asked, gesturing at the gardening implement glinting menacingly near a group of Puffapods.

"I told you not to sneak up on me in the Invisibility Cloak or you would pay the price, did I not?" Remus smiled brightly.

"Fair enough, fair enough," James conceded. "We'll only sneak up on Peter now, I suppose."

"Hey!" Peter exclaimed. "I helped you with this plan! I was going to get Remus to admit which one of you he liked better."

"That is true, Pete," Sirius said, "And we thank you for that, though it would have been an exercise in futility: we all know _everyone_ likes me more. Boys, girls, animals, Puffapods, Pete Pettigrew, you name it."

"Are you sure about that?" James asked, hopping up onto the counter, a wry smile playing at his lips.

"Yeah, why?" Sirius said, perching himself on a stool and carefully unwinding a vine that had just twirled itself around his arm.

"Well, it's just that I can think of at least _one_ girl who doesn't like you more," he said, his grin positively wicked now.

"Lily doesn't count, Potter. Everyone knows she and Remus have their 'special bond,'" he said, using his fingers as quotation marks. "Although, I'm not sure if she even likes you more than she likes me, so I don't actually see your point."

"I actually wasn't talking about Lily," James said, a bit defensively, though he quickly regrouped. "I was talking about Diana."

"Oh, were you now?" Sirius scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "Come on, James, she _clearly_ likes me better. In fact, I think I'm going to ask her to Hogsmeade tonight!"

James smirked. "I'm afraid you'll find that she's already taken."

"Yeah, by who?" Sirius was off his stool now, his arms crossed over his chest, the vine creeping slowly back over his shoulder.

"By yours truly, my friend," James said. He leaned back on his hands and looked at Sirius as if waiting for applause.

Sirius looked angry for a moment, then confused, but then he broke into a smile and punched James on the arm. "Eh, you can have her, Potter. You were right in thinking I should choose Rena Sorenson."

Remus laughed. "You don't even care, Sirius?" Sirius shook his head, and Remus followed suit. "Unbelievable, you two. Heaven forbid you're ever separated. I don't think you could coexist if you didn't share everything."

"That day will never happen," Sirius said, freeing himself once more from the vine to trap James's head underneath his arm and ruffle his hair. "There you go, Jamesey-boy! I've made your hair just how you like it."

James laughed and wrestled his way out of Sirius's grasp. "Just how_she_ likes it, you mean!" He scooted sideways on the countertop as Sirius lunged playfully at him again, missing by a millimeter.

"What happened to Lily?" Remus asked as Sirius and James kept play-fighting. "I thought you were going to ask her?"

"Well, I did," James said, locking Sirius's neck under his arm until he cried mercy. Releasing the dark-haired boy, he hopped off the table and turned toward Remus. "I asked her yesterday night.

"And she said no?" Remus was genuinely surprised. He didn't think Lily actually harbored feelings for James, but he was pretty sure she didn't like anyone else either, so why not?

"Yep. Don't really know why," James said with a shrug, though Remus perceived a faint air of defeat around him.

"Well," Sirius said, resuming his position on the stool, "I've always said that—"

"Yeah, yeah, that Diana is prettier than Lily. I know. Prettier, maybe. But not better, Sirius."

"Just like you and me!" Sirius said, giving James another playful punch on the arm.

"Which one is prettier and which one is better?" Peter asked, looking genuinely interested as he doused his plants with a stream of water from his wand.

"More importantly," Remus said, not giving the boys the satisfaction of deciding who was prettier, "did Diana ask _you_ to Hogsmeade?"

"She sure did!" James said, his spirits perking up a bit. "Right after I asked Lily, in fact. She cornered me in the Common Room and pretty much demanded that I go with her. It was quite interesting."

"It always is, my friend," Sirius said with a noble sigh. "It always is."

This sent the four of them into a fit of laughter, and it was a full minute before they could even talk about their Animagi progress.

* * *

"I guess I'm excited to go," Lily said as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I just kind of wish..." She trailed off, and looked down at the table.

Lily and Gwendolyn were sitting together in the Great Hall during one of their free periods. The Hogsmeade visit was just a few days away, and this was the first year that they could go, so naturally the event had been met with some excitement among the third-years. But Lily, seeing the coupling that automatically took place among the older students and reflecting on her own awkward interaction with James, couldn't help but wish that a certain someone would ask her. Unfortunately, that certain someone happened to be the brother of the certain someone sitting across the table from her right now.

"Kind of wish what?" Gwendolyn asked, checking her translation against her Ancient Runes dictionary.

"Nothing," Lily said, returning to her own parchment.

"No, tell me!" Gwendolyn said, looking up from her book. "You wish what?" Her signature playful grin was traveling slowly across her face.

Lily couldn't help but blush: Gwendolyn could read her like a rune. "I wish it was going to be warmer this weekend," she lied.

Gwendolyn didn't buy it for a second. "Yeah, right. This is about a boy! Who? _Who?_"

Lily scoffed. "I can't believe you think I'm that shallow!" she said, feigning offense.

"Oh, sure, take the high road. I'll have you know, though, that I remember what you said to me at the beginning of the year," Gwendolyn said, waving her quill accusingly in Lily's face.

Lily was genuinely puzzled. "What did I say?"

Gwendolyn batted her eyelashes and twirled her dark blonde curls in a convincing—if not slightly exaggerated—impression of Lily. "'I don't know, Gwendolyn... I think third year's going to be really hard with school and everything. Maybe I shouldn't even think about boys!'" Gwendolyn dropped her strand of hair and looked at Lily, her mouth twisted into a smirk. "Answer to _that_, my friend."

Lily blushed again. Gwendolyn was right: she _had_ said that over the summer. "Well," she started, wondering how to talk herself out of the situation, "I guess... people change, right?"

"Fair enough. I'll even believe you if you tell me who you want to 'change' for!" There was a momentary pause, then Gwendolyn tentatively asked, "It's not that Severus Snape, is it?" Her round face didn't bear a look of judgment, but she certainly seemed cautious.

Lily frowned. "No, it isn't, but if it _was_, would there be anything wrong with that?" She was tired of people always jumping to conclusions about her newfound friendship with Severus, and had expected more from Gwendolyn. Sure, he wasn't as handsome as James or Sirius, and he paled—quite literally—in comparison to Chadwick, but that hardly made him a bad person. She was beginning to wonder if the friendship was really worth all the hassles it had caused in just a few weeks of existence.

The truth was, she really enjoyed his company. They had spent countless hours huddled together in the library working on the mysterious tablet—whose meaning yet remained elusive—and she found him to be interesting and unashamedly honest—a quality often lacking in her other male friends. Being with Severus was refreshing on many levels. Like Remus, he appreciated her intelligence and wasn't afraid to interact with her on matters scholarly. True, he offered no substitute for the buoyant enthusiasm of James and Sirius, but at times said buoyancy was grating. Severus was quieter and more reserved, though Lily was almost positive there was something fierce inside him. It scared and fascinated her at once. Still, if she kept encountering judgment at every turn, maybe whatever fierceness there was would never be discovered…

Gwendolyn noticed her friend's displeased expression and began to backpedal. "No, of course not! It's just… I don't know him that well, I guess. I mean, that's it. Really."

The matter hung precipitously in the air for a moment before Gwendolyn smiled again. "If it's not Severus," she said easily, "who is it?"

"Oh, look at the time!" Lily exclaimed, glancing at her wristwatch. "Free period's almost over."

Gwendolyn, who didn't wear a watch, grabbed Lily's arm from across the table and twisted it to look at the time. "Liar! We still have two whole minutes, which is _plenty_ of time."

"I'm not going to tell, Gwendolyn," Lily said, trying to keep the mood light, though she knew that when Gwendolyn got hooked on an idea, there was hardly anything that could stop her from seeing it through. A trait no doubt enhanced (for better or worse) by the boys...

"Okay, then I'll start guessing. You'll _have_ to answer eventually. There are only so many boys at this school!"

"Guess away, Gwendolyn, but I'm not going to confirm."

"Sirius," came Gwendolyn's first guess.

"No, but interesting to see that you thought of him first." Lily was trying desperately to turn the tables on Gwendolyn.

"Please," her friend scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "Sirius is good for a few things in this world, but I think being a boyfriend is almost certainly not one of them."

Lily raised one eyebrow in disbelief. "Well, I'll just say that I'm not the only one who has noticed something between you two, so take that as you will."

"Uh-huh, sure, Lily," Gwendolyn said, making a ridiculous face and again waving her hand. But Lily noticed a small smile materialize at the corner of her lips as she looked down at the table. Gwendolyn coughed and turned her head back up toward Lily, and her eyes seemed unusually bright. "Next guess: James."

"Are you just going to go through the boys in our year?" Lily said as she rolled her eyes, though she felt her heart rate speed up. She hadn't told anyone about James's botched attempt to ask her to Hogsmeade, not even Remus. She wanted to tell Gwendolyn, but knew that she would never live it down...

"Yes, unless you tell me that he's in another year," Gwendolyn said.

"Nope," Lily responded.

"'Nope' as in 'No, he's not in another year' or 'Nope' as in 'No, I'm not going to tell you'?" Gwendolyn asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Well, that's just for you to figure out, I suppose!" Lily shot back playfully. Anything to avoid talking or thinking about James Potter would be good at this moment.

"Fine, fine," Gwendolyn said. "But, my dear, how 'bout a taste of your own medicine: _I'm_ not the only one who has noticed something between you and James." Gwendolyn's smile was downright mischievous, with just a touch of superiority.

Lily tried desperately not to blush yet again. Though she, _of course_, had no designs on James, it was always fun to entertain the idea that someone liked you. On the one hand, when he had asked her the other day, she had to admit that she had let her imagination run free for just the barest of seconds. On the other hand, James had never made any secret of the fact that he was enamored with her, so she should have felt flattered all the time—which she didn't. Annoyed was the most common feeling, actually. Somehow, the fact that he had actually taken action on his feelings made her even more annoyed. She didn't like him. She didn't want to like him. _Why had he asked her?_

Still, she caught herself feeling just a tiny bit of elation at Gwendolyn's words. This couldn't happen! She willed the annoyance take over again. She shook her head vigorously as if to confirm to both herself and Gwendolyn that she didn't like James. "Wrong, whoever said that," she said, perhaps a little too forcefully. "Totally, completely, one hundred percent wrong."

"All right, all right!" Gwendolyn said, throwing her hands up in front of her. "I get the picture. Not James!" Gwendolyn paused, her gaze returning to the table as she idly traced a pattern in the wood. "But if he asked you, would you say yes? Just to have _someone_ to go with?"

Lily almost confessed that he _had_, in fact, asked her, but she stopped herself in time. "Nope. I already have someone to go with."

Gwendolyn was confused. "Who?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"You, silly!" Lily said, sending her sweetest smile across the table.

"Oh, me, you say? How do you know I'm not already going with someone?" Gwendolyn teased, stacking her books and parchment up into a neat pile, then proceeding to shove them all haphazardly into her bag.

"What? Seriously? Who?" Lily demanded, just as they heard the familiar tone signaling the beginning of the next period.

"Saved by the bell!" Gwendolyn said with a laugh as she slung her bag over her shoulder and trotted toward the door, leaving Lily scrambling to catch up in her wake.


	22. Eighteen: Skirmishes

**Author's Note: **Hello, hello dear readers! I apologize at the **criminal** amount of time that has passed between updates, but life just keeps throwing me curveballs. Anyway, I've missed this story so much and I'm excited to be back on track! Some more good stuff is around the bend... Enjoy!

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:**** Skirmishes**

Remus could feel the beads of sweat gathering on his brow as the Gryffindor third-years marched toward Hogsmeade. Everyone else was calm: Sirius joked around with Peter, Lily and the girls were deep in conversation, and James walked awkwardly ahead, Diana giggling at his side. Only Remus had something to fear, and said object was looming around just a few more bends.

Of course he was overreacting. He often did. After all, who in his or her right mind would see a dilapidated-looking shack and immediately conclude that it was the monthly hiding place of an underage werewolf? No one. Only problem was, Remus knew plenty of Hogwarts students out of their right minds. Three were walking in front of him.

He had nothing to fear from James, Sirius, or Peter. He knew his secret was safe with them. But what if someone else found out? What if a Hogwarts student managed to undo all the protective spells, break into the shack, see the scratch marks, correlate the howling noises with Remus's absences… The list of paranoias went on and on, and Remus looked around with palpable trepidation.

"It's near here, isn't it?"

Lily's voice made him jump. She had managed to extricate herself from Gwendolyn, Marlene McKinnon, and Artemia Goldsmith and had crept up on poor Remus. He swallowed and nodded as he looked at her. "You should be able to see it in a few minutes."

"Can we go visit?" Sirius asked from Remus's left, making him jump again.

"Um… I'd really rather we didn't, if that's OK," he said, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. "Don't want to arouse suspicion and all that, you know."

"Oh, come on, mate! No one's going to piece it all together. I'd love to have a look at it!" Sirius was—as always—indefatigable.

"Yeah, we want to see it, Remus!" Peter chimed in. He at least looked more supportive than Sirius, as if he wanted to see the shack out of concern for his friend, not novelty.

"Guys, give him a break. Would you want to go there during the days you weren't… you know…" Lily said, frowning mainly at Sirius.

"It'll be a whole new perspective!" came yet another voice. James had entered the conversation, and for a moment Remus panicked, sure that he would have Diana in tow. "Relax," said James, picking up on his friend's sudden mood swing. "She's walking by herself up there. Lily, you wanna go keep her company?"

Lily snorted. "Nothing would please me more."

"Great!" he said, totally missing her sarcasm. "I just need a break…"

"James, I'm not going to go baby-sit your girlfriend because you finally realized what the rest of us learned so very long ago: Diana Denham is annoying as sin."

"A little sin never hurt anyone," Sirius said, eyeing Diana's bouncing blond curls.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Gross. Maybe you should go walk with her, Sirius."

"I would, love, but I've got to stay back here and convince good ol' Books-for-Brains to let us see his hut."

"Not going to happen, friend," Remus said, with surprising conviction. He inhaled slowly, closing his eyes as he did so.

"Fine, _fine_," Sirius relented, apparently giving up the game. "Guess we'll just have to be satisfied with Zonko's."

"Hey, that's not too bad, Sirius. We need to restock on Dungbombs, and it couldn't hurt to pick up some other stuff," Peter said, his eyes aglow with thoughts of untold pranking glory.

"Uh oh," James muttered, breaking Peter's trance. "The hen is returning to the roost."

"What?" Peter asked.

James nodded a few feet ahead of them, where Diana had turned and started walking toward them, her hands on her hips.

"'The hen is returning to the roost'? What kind of saying is that?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow in scorn as she crossed her arms.

"I've been experimenting with animal metaphors recently," James explained with a grin, and the four boys laughed at their private joke. Remus felt a pang of guilt for not telling Lily, but he had a hunch she would find out about their Animagi trials before it was all over…

Meanwhile, Diana was drawing ever nearer. Lily apparently shrugged off James's farm reference: "Well, that's nice. And I'd love to stay and chat but—oh wait! —no, I wouldn't." She veered away from the group and meandered back toward Gwendolyn, but was still in earshot when Diana reached the boys.

"James, you silly goose! You totally left me up there! I had no idea you were gone until I realized I was talking to myself! Don't you leave me again!" She batted him playfully on the arm and James managed to eke out a sheepish smile.

Remus couldn't see the expression on Lily's face, but he would bet good money that it was a smirk.

* * *

"It's just… of _all_ the people in the world, he has to go out with _her_?" Lily's face was twisted in disbelief, and she couldn't stop shaking her head. They had been in Hogsmeade for about twenty minutes and Lily and Gwendolyn were in Gladrags Wizardwear.

"I though you didn't like him, Lil," Gwendolyn asked, one eyebrow cocked though she hardly looked up from the dress robes she was inspecting.

"I don't. Gwendolyn, I really don't. But he _is_ my friend, and I have _no idea_ what he sees in Diana Denham." Lily wasn't much for fashion, so instead she stared blankly at a wall, picturing Diana and James together. It was not a pleasant thought.

"I have an idea: cute face, blonde hair, painted fingernails… Sirius raves about her like there's no other witch on the planet."

"_Ugh_," Lily shuddered. "It seriously makes me sick sometimes. She's just so… fake. Everything is about her. She's not funny, she's not smart, she's not even _nice_. The only thing she's got going for her is that she's a Metamorphmagus. And if that's all James is interested in, then I'm glad I…" She stopped short.

"You're glad you _what_?" Gwendolyn asked, her all-too-familiar mischievous grin on her face.

Lily blushed. "Nothing. I'm glad I don't like him. I'm glad they're together. Whatever, it's out of my hands. May they have a happy life and a hundred babies." She hastily rifled through a box of broaches, turning her eyes away from Gwendolyn's grinning face.

Gwendolyn snorted. "I think you're taking it just a bit too far, Lily. One Hogsmeade trip does not a relationship make, much less a marriage. I give the whole thing three weeks, tops. He'll get sick of her. He's too clever for someone like Diana. She'll get annoying and he'll get back to his unrequited love for you."

Lily's blushed deepened, but she furrowed her brow, idly running her hands over the silver and gold pins. "Even if he had a crush on me at one point, it's over now, that's for sure. And I don't care, anyway. He's a stupid, arrogant toerag with messy hair, and if he wants to chase blondes all day long, he's more than welcome to in my book. Come on, let's go to Zonko's."

Gwendolyn just shrugged and followed her out of the store.

* * *

Despite being safely ensconced in the library after the Hogsmeade visit, Lily still couldn't shake what was irking her. She jumped in her chair as she looked up and saw a person sitting across the table from her, but relaxed as she saw it was Severus.

"Hey, Sev," she said, absentmindedly massaging one shoulder, her eyes closed.

"Hey, Lily. Are you all right?" His pale face was filled with genuine concern, and for the briefest of moments, he inched his hand forward to touch her arm, before yanking it right back.

She opened her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I'm fine. It's just… _ugh_," she groaned. "It's just stupid James Potter."

"Has he done something to you?" In an instant, the concern became anger, and his nostrils flared at the end of his crooked nose.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. He's just being particularly annoying today. Did you know that he and Diana Denham are going out?" Lily wasn't even sure Severus knew who Diana Denham was, but she could tell Gwendolyn was getting tired of hearing about the whole situation. Lily's rambling diatribe had carried on from Gladrag's to Zonko's to Honeyduke's and beyond.

"That Metamorphmagus?" Severus asked, looking up from his book. "She might be the most annoying person in our entire year. Maybe even the whole school."

Snape's voice was dripping with disdain as he returned his attention to his book, not caring to give Diana a second thought. Lily felt a surge of happiness swell inside. Severus's instincts about people were rarely wrong, and if he could see through Diana's phoniness, maybe there was hope… _ Hope for what?_ she thought to herself, though her self did not answer…

But it was time to stop thinking about James Potter.

"I didn't see you at Hogsmeade, Sev, did you go?" Lily asked across the gnarled table from Severus, who looked up sharply.

"You went? Did you go with anyone?" he asked, his dark hair falling around his face. Lily nodded, and a look passed over Severus's face, at once panic, worry, and anger. "Who?" he demanded. "Was it Potter or the traitor Black?"

Lily furrowed her brow and sat backwards in her chair. "Whoa, Sev, calm down. I went with Gwendolyn. And what makes Sirius a traitor?"

Severus regained what little color he had and looked away, twitching his quill around in his hands. "Nothing, never mind. Sorry. Let's just get to work."

"_Ugh_," Lily sighed, running a hand through her thick red hair. "I'm getting pretty tired of this tablet. I don't think we're ever going to crack it. Not until we've had a lot more practice with Ancient Runes, anyway."

Her friend frowned. "Do you want to give up?"

"No…" she said haltingly. "It's just—and I know you're against this—but it's just that I think we should ask Professor Montgomery about it. I'm _sure_ he can help us!"

"We don't need his help," Severus scoffed. "Anything he could tell us is in these books, so why bother?"

Lily pursed her lips and blinked, turning her head to the stack of books towering over Severus. "I guess," she said, reaching across the table to grab the topmost of the pile and pulling it down to the table, which it hit with a dull thud, raising a cloud of dust in the process. Lily coughed as she pried open the ancient book.

"Lily, if you want to stop the project…" Severus began, but Lily knew he couldn't finish the sentence. _He_ certainly didn't want to stop researching the complex carvings on the tablet, and Lily didn't yet have the heart to make him, though she was increasingly creeped out by its eerie silence. It simply refused to yield its secrets, and Lily didn't know how much more she could take.

"No, no," she reassured him. "Let's keep going. At least for a few more days."

Across the table, Severus looked pleased.

* * *

"Anyone up for an adventure?" Sirius asked a bit too loudly Saturday morning, a week after the Hogsmeade visit.

The Gryffindors were arranged in their usual corner of the Common Room, doing their usual Saturday morning activities. Any break from the usual would be welcome relief. Remus noticed many heads shot up at Sirius's question, and James looked visibly relieved to stop working on his Potions homework.

"What's the adventure?" Gwendolyn asked, sounding a bit suspicious, and with good reason: the last "adventure" Sirius had promised turned out to be a bit of a bust: the Prefect's bathroom—while quite nice—was hardly the gold-plated wonder chamber that Sirius had promised.

"It won't disappoint, dear Gwennie. And _this_ adventure is tailor-made for the Quidditch enthusiasts among us," he said with a wink.

Gwendolyn rolled her eyes. "Just so you know, most of us have already seen the pitch, Sirius. Prepare to be underwhelmed, everyone…"

Sirius strolled over to Gwendolyn's chair and leaned in until he was mere inches from her face: "Trust me," he said with a wink.

It only took a few more minutes of convincing before Remus, James, Peter, Gwendolyn, and Lily had "signed up" for the adventure, and soon they were bundling up in the Common Room, climbing out the portrait hole, slipping through the front doors, and marching toward the Quidditch pitch. When the stadium loomed only a few feet in front of them, Sirius stopped and threw up his hands. "Prepare, friends, for your adventure."

He turned around and thrust a hand into each of his jean pockets, emerging seconds later with two huge bags of Dungbombs and a wicked grin. "Shrinking Charm," he said by way of explanation. "Never thought I'd have to use that one—bigger is better, after all." He winked again and Gwendolyn groaned. Remus chuckled. If Sirius weren't an actual wizard, he would have made a wonderful Muggle "magician."

"Wow, Sirius: a freezing cold day, Quidditch pitch, and two dozen Dungbombs. What an adventure!" Gwendolyn said dryly. "I think I'd rather be doing my Charms homework."

"Will you _please_ be patient?" he chided. "I'm about to explain the plan!" Gwendolyn raised her hands in agreement, then folded them across her chest. "All right," Sirius continued. "I have found out, thanks to a tip from our dear friend Peter Pettigrew, that today the Slytherins are holding emergency Quidditch tryouts to replace two fallen members of their team. Members fallen—I might add—thanks to the mighty Beater's bats of the Gryffindor Quidditch Squad."

James burst into applause. "Here here!" he shouted gamely.

Remus smiled: an earlier scrimmage between Gryffindor and Slytherin had indeed sent two Slytherin players to the infirmary, but he had been told they would make a full recovery…

Sirius seemed to read Remus's mind: "While those dumb snakes _will_ make full recoveries, their darling mothers believe the rigors of the game are just too demanding for the less-than-human creeps. Therefore, the powers-that-be at Slytherin have been forced to tap into their reserve of dim-witted peons.

"Our mission," he continued after a brief pause, "is simple: sabotage."

It was mildly amusing to see the spate of different reactions to Sirius's words. Remus himself was wary—as he was with most of the boys' plans. James and Peter, of course, looked game as ever. Even Gwendolyn seemed excited, her earlier doubt quashed. Only Lily reacted with trepidation. "Come on, Sirius. Just let them have try-outs," she said. "It's freezing out here anyway."

"Oh, come on, Lil. We can have a little bit of fun. They're just Dungbombs!" Gwendolyn was speaking to Lily though her full attention was on Sirius, who grinned.

"That's the spirit, Gwen! Just Dungbombs. All we have to do is sneak into the stands and wreak a little havoc. We'll be back by the fire in half an hour—I promise."

Lily sighed but made no move to return to the castle, so Sirius drew the gang into a huddle and whispered instructions: "We'll split into three teams. James, you and Peter go to the north side of the pitch and Remus and I will cover the south. Girls, you're lookouts for now—" Gwendolyn let out a cry of protest, but Sirius continued: "_For now_. Take some Dungbombs if you must, but it'll work best as a two-front attack. James, follow my lead. Girls, red sparks if you see something fishy. If the plan goes to pot, it's every man for himself. Got it?"

All present nodded in agreement, then Sirius made them stick their hands into the circle. "One, two, three, GRYFF!" he chanted softly. They lifted their arms and then separated into the teams and flanked the stadium.

Remus followed at Sirius's heels as they stole up the stairs and into the pitch. Crouching low behind the seats Remus could just barely make out the Slytherin team and potentials, currently having some sort of meeting on the ground far below the goal hoops. In the stands, close the ground, Professor Slughorn—head of Slytherin—slumbered gently.

"Is Slughorn going to be a problem, Sirius?" Remus asked, nodding in the professor's direction.

"Doubt he'll even wake up," Sirius whispered, opening up one of the bags. "And we'll be in and out so quick, there's no way he'll notice. No we have just enough time to get set up." He withdrew a Dungbomb from the bag and Remus was surprised to see it was bright gold instead of the usual brown. "I made some adjustments," Sirius said by way of explanation, and Remus grinned. If the Dungbombs were gold, they would look exactly like Snitches zooming around the pitch.

"Brilliant," he said, genuinely impressed with Sirius's plan.

"Thanks, mate," Sirius responded, his dark eyes intently focused on the action below. "Now all we need to do is wait for them to take flight—oh, here they go! Get ready."

Remus withdrew a Dungbomb and his wand and waited for Sirius to make the first move. As soon as there were a good number of players in the air, Sirius tossed his golden bomb in the air and whispered, "_Wingardium Leviosa_!" It flew out of the stands and into the fray, zooming left and right as Sirius jerked his wand. He held up a hand to steady Remus: "Not yet. Give it a minute."

As soon as a potential Seeker had caught sight of this "Snitch," Sirius nodded to Remus who sent his own Dungbomb zipping into the air. Sirius grabbed another and chucked it out toward the field, catching it with his wand and making it fly in tandem with the original. Soon, Remus saw that James and Peter had caught on, as three or four more small objects glinted in the sun from the north end of the pitch. Remus kept his eye trained to the middle where Gwendolyn and Lily were on lookout duty, but no red sparks flew.

The Quidditch try-outs quickly descended into chaos as the boys kept adding to the number of balls in the air. Soon the Dungbombs vastly outnumbered the people. A wicked grin spread across Sirius's face as mayhem erupted in the air. "And in just about ten seconds, phase two of the attack will begin."

"What's phase two?" Remus asked.

"Just cover your nose, mate," Sirius said, bringing a piece of his robe up to shield his face.

Time-release Dungbombs. _Of course_, Remus thought. Sirius had planned this well.

"_Three… two… ONE_," he chanted under his breath. Sure enough, no sooner had the words escaped his mouth then Remus was able to detect a faint odor and the telltale foggy gas of the Dungbombs as they exploded in the air, sending Slytherins careening in all directions. A few unlucky players found themselves unable to avoid collision and Remus watched as one tumbled toward the ground, pulling up just in time to save himself. However, the force of his maneuver was too strong and he came rocketing toward the stands, right where Remus and Sirius were crouched. In a matter of seconds, he had flown close enough to stare the two boys right in the face, and Remus paled as he saw that the boy on the broom was none other than Severus Snape. _This will not end well_.

Sure enough, Severus's eyes widened in frenzy and he whipped his broom around to the still-panicking Slytherins, shouting and pointing in Remus's direction. "IT'S GRYFFINDOR!" he yelled with maniacal rage. "BLACK AND LUPIN. THEY'RE UP HERE!"

Remus sat bolt upright as he and Sirius nearly twenty Slytherins change direction mid-air and come flying toward them, wands at the ready. He gripped his own wand and racked his brain to come up with any plan that would get them out of the situation as anything but fertilizer for the Quidditch pitch. It gave him a moment's cheer to see Peter and James tearing around the stadium coming for backup, but still, four against twenty? The outlook was grim.

The mêlée began soon enough. Some Slytherins dismounted their brooms and attacked the Gryffindors in the stands, some flew in tight circles around the battle. Remus had no idea what jinxes, curses, and hexes were flying from their wands, all he knew is that no one was getting out unscathed. Jets of green and red flew all around them, and Remus was amazed to see how many Slytherins were stumbling.

He had no idea how long they were fighting before they all heard a booming voice and saw the imposing figure of Horace Slughorn shooting loud bangs into the air with his wand. "STOP! CEASE AND DESIST, GENTLEMEN!" he shouted, his face a mixture of rage, panic, and… was that pride?

Slughorn waded into the crowd and started pulling the Slytherins away from Remus and his friends. A few last spells bounced off the stadium benches before Slughorn quieted everyone down and turned on the Gryffindors. "Masters Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew, you should be _ashamed_ of yourselves. Rarely in my tenure have I seen behavior like this. Thirty points from Gryffindor for _each_ of you, and two detentions a piece on top of that."

"That's not fair!" Remus heard from somewhere over his shoulder, but the voice belonged to an unexpected source: all the boys whipped around to see Lily and Gwendolyn standing a few rows behind them. Lily was glaring at Slughorn, her hands on her hips. "Professor," she continued, "the Slytherins were equally at fault! In fact, they were the ones who started the brawl!"

James smiled at Sirius, but Remus's attention was diverted to a look that passed between Lily and Severus Snape, and Lily seemed to lose a bit of her boldness. He didn't have time to think about it, though, as his train of thought was interrupted by Slughorn's stammers. "Miss Evans! I'm surprised to see you here… but, well… hrm… I suppose the Slytherins should not be without punishment, right you are as always, but it is hardly fair to say that they were the instigators! And—might I add—any accomplices will also lose points!"

"We're not accomplices, Professor," she said hastily. "Just witnesses." Gwendolyn nodded at her side. "Anyway, perhaps their punishment shouldn't be as severe, but they're at least partially to blame!"

Slughorn nodded and reluctantly docked points from members of his House and the whole thing was over as quickly as it started. The Slytherins gathered together and headed back toward the castle with Slughorn leading the way and Severus bringing up the rear. He turned back toward the Gryffindors and Remus could see a shallow gash on his cheek. Remus felt Lily tense beside him, but Severus's glare was directed only at Sirius and James.

"Nice flying, _Snivellus_," Sirius whispered, and Snape made a move toward him, but must have caught the pleading look in Lily's eyes, for he turned around and hurried the rest of the Slytherins along.

The Gryffindors waited a few moments before speaking, and it was Lily who broke the silence. "Well done, boys," she said. "Really great adventure." Her face was the picture of disappointment and she shook her head at Sirius and James.

"Oh, come off it, Lily. They deserved it," Sirius said, scoffing at her.

"Yeah, and they wouldn't have even known it was us if Snape hadn't nearly fallen off his broom," James added.

Lily's frown deepened but she said nothing more.

They silently wound their way down the long staircase to the ground and trudged toward the castle. Remus saw Gwendolyn look at her wristwatch and smile. "Hey, at least Sirius kept his promise: the whole thing took less than thirty minutes!"

Peter laughed and Remus managed a small smile, but the other three said nothing the whole way back to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

A few hours after the Quidditch debacle, Severus met Lily in a small courtyard off the Great Hall. Madam Pomfrey had apparently mended the cut on his cheek, for hardly any trace remained. Lily wondered for a moment about the boys' injuries, but realized it was harder than usual to feel any sympathy for them.

She twitched the corners of her mouth into a smile of greeting as Severus leaned against one of the great stone columns. The bitter November wind howled around the courtyard, kicking up bits of dust and leaves that swirled around the bottom of Lily's robes. She shivered against the cold and rubbed her arms.

"Severus, I'm sorry about today—" she started, but the pale boy held up a hand to silence her.

"I don't understand why you're friends with Potter and Black, Lily. They don't deserve you."

Lily blushed, startled at his words, and unsure how to respond. She had expected him to be disappointed in her for her encouragement of Slytherin punishment, but this was disappointment of a different kind, and it caught her off guard. On the one hand, there was no denying that James and Sirius were awful to Severus for largely undeserved reasons. On the other hand, despite their flaws, Sirius and James were her friends. For better or for worse, right? _But how much 'worse' can it get'?_ she couldn't help but think.

"Listen, Sev," she started. "I don't know why they're so awful to you, and I wish you could just ignore it and not retaliate—not that I blame you for what happened today—" she added quickly. "But the fact remains that they're in my life, and I can't just cut them out. We're together all the time, and they're good friends with Gwendolyn and Remus, and I'm not going to… I can't just _stop _spending time with them."

"Well," Severus said, a strange smile playing at his thins lips; "I guess it's lucky for us that familiarity breeds contempt."

Lily smiled back, though she didn't mean it. Something in his expression was deeply troubling to her, and she kicked the ground nervously, eager for a change of topic. He was still leaning calmly against the pillar, his black eyes intensely searching her face. She blushed again and broke his gaze.

An owl hooted somewhere in the distance, its call borne on the back of a fierce wind that stung Lily's cheeks. "Let's go inside," she suggested. "It's getting really cold out here."

Still Severus stared. After a few too many seconds, he spoke. "No, I'm going to stay out here for a while longer. You can go in."

"Oh, OK," she said. "Well… see you later." She hesitated before turning on her heels and heading for the warmth of the castle, acutely aware that his eyes remained trained on her until she vanished from his sight.


End file.
